Volt-second consumption during the start-up phase of PLT

The volt-second consumption in the PLT tokamak was measured. During the start-up phase, the volt-second consumption is determined primarily by the external and internal flux required to establish the current profile. The resistive volt-second loss on axis is typically < l/4 of the total volt-seconds consumed during the first 180 ms of the discharge. The measurements reported here provide an empirical basis for establishing the volt-second requirements for future tokamak devices.