Method and equipment for pulsed charge cooling of a component of a tokomak

A pulsed load method for cooling a component of a Tokamak, the method employing a cooling device that subjects a working fluid of helium to a working cycle, comprising the steps of:

• compressing the helium;
• cooling the helium;
• expanding the helium;
• cooling the component and heating the helium through heat exchange between the component and the expanded helium, wherein:
• the cooling power produced by the cooling device is increased to a relatively high level when the Tokamak is in a plasma generation phase;
• the cooling power produced by the cooling device is reduced to a relatively low level when the Tokamak is no longer in a plasma generation phase;
• the increase in the cooling power produced by the cooling device is automatically triggered in response to a signal generated during a step of starting a plasma in the Tokamak;
• and
• when the Tokamak is no longer in a plasma generation phase, the method comprises at least one period during which the cooling device liquefies working fluid and stores the liquefied fluid in a buffer reserve, the level of the liquefied fluid in the reserve being kept below a threshold by way of a heater that can be selectively activated, and in that, when a plasma phase is initiated, the cooling power produced by the cooling device is increased before the heater is deactivated and before the level of liquid in the reserve decreases whereby the signal indicating that a plasma is being struck in the Tokamak precedes deactivation of the heater and the drop in the level of liquid in the reserve resulting from fluid vaporization due to cooling of the component of the Tokamak during plasma generation.