1. Engineering Operations TF Commissioning Mechanical testing of TF flag/box assemblies complete, inner bundle installed, and all joints made up. Joint resistance measurements have been made @ 200A to provide a baseline before starting the ISTP Installation of the flexible bus links is in progress, with plans to complete machine area scrubs and start the ISTP on Monday. ISTP will be performed to 4.5kG Real time resistance measurements will continue to be made for all 72 joints, with 8 joints having dual measurements to monitor out-of-plane loading.

2. Engineering Operations TF Commissioning (con’t) Strain and temperature measurements will be made on select flags, as well as displacement measurements for flag end toroidal and poloidal motion, flag end twist, bundle twist, and hub twist. Real performance of the system vs. predictions will be judged during initial operations, and the operating envelope will be adjusted accordingly. Later phases of commissioning toward 6kG will be performed pending results at 4.5kG, and when needed for the NSTX research program.

3. Engineering Operations Start Up Activities MG#2 has been run through its full operating range and is ready to support the ISTP. The NB has been cooled down to liquid He temperatures and is available to pump on the torus. Restart of ion sources in progress. Commissioning of the Switching Power Amplifier (SPA) to power the RWM error field coils is in progress. Dummy load testing via a temporary rectifier is complete, and power testing using the FCPC rectifier is in progress. The CHI transient start-up capacitor bank will be brought on line this year with 2kV capability. Vacuum vessel sections are currently being tested for 2kV CHI Ops.

4. Engineering Operations NSTX Run Schedule The ISTP (field coil power tests) will start on March 28th, followed immediately by plasma operations. First full week starting on April 4th. The run is scheduled to go through the month of September with some “contingency” weeks to make sure we complete our 18 run weeks. Tentatively planning on bakeout w/hot boronization on April 11th. Plan to extend run day to 7:00PM two evenings per week. Two weeks scheduled in August as “firm” vacation weeks, keeping the test cell open for maintenance on those weeks. The scheduling of the other maintenance weeks is somewhat flexible.