A. A. Tuccillo

A model-based technique for integrated real-time profile control in the JET tokamak

This paper describes a new technique which has been implemented on the JET tokamak to investigate integrated real-time control of several plasma profiles simultaneously (such as current, temperature and pressure) and reports the results of the first experimental tests. The profiles are handled through their projection on a suitable basis of functions according to the Galerkin scheme. Their response to three actuators (heating and current drive powers injected in the plasma) is linearized in an experimentally deduced multi-input multi-output model. The singular value decomposition of this model operator allows us to design a distributed-parameter real-time controller which maximizes the steady state decoupling of the multiple feedback loops. It enables us to control several coupled profiles simultaneously, with some degree of fuzziness to let the plasma evolve towards an accessible non-linear state which is the closest to the requested one, despite a limited number of actuators.The first experiments using these techniques show that different current and electron temperature profiles can be obtained and sustained by the controller during a closed-loop operation time window. Future improvements and perspectives are briefly mentioned.

Integrated scenario in JET using real-time profile control

The recent development of real-time measurements and control tools in JET has enhanced the reliability and reproducibility of the relevant ITER scenarios. Diagnostics such as charge exchange, interfero-polarimetry, electron cyclotron emission have been upgraded for real-time measurements. In addition, real-time processes like magnetic equilibrium and q profile reconstruction have been developed and applied successfully in real-time q profile control experiments using model based control techniques. Plasma operation and control against magnetohydrodynamic instabilities are also benefiting from these new systems. The experience gained at JET in the field of real-time measurement and control experiments operation constitutes a very useful basis for the future operation of ITER scenarios.

HIGH DENSITY OPERATION ON FRASCATI TOKAMAK UPGRADE

Plasma behaviour in the high density regime has been investigated on the Frascati Tokamak Upgrade (FTU). The items particularly addressed are density limit, MARFE characteristics and fuelling efficiency. With gas puffing, a maximum line average density of 3.2*1020 m-3 has been obtained in the ohmic regime at q=5.1, corresponding to 1.7 times the Greenwald limit; while with pellet injection, a value of 3.7*1020 m-3 has been reached at q=3.5. The density limit appears to be connected with the impurity content and edge parameters, so the best results are obtained with very clean plasmas and peaked electron density profiles. The MARFE phenomenon always appears beyond a critical density that depends on the total input power and the effective charge: emissivities in the range of 2 to 12 MW/m3 have been measured in this highly radiating region. The fuelling efficiency, starting from a value of about 50% at low density, progressively deteriorates, falling to 10% near the density limit: this behaviour is interpreted as being due to a decrease of the scrape-off layer transparency to incoming neutrals

EAST alternative magnetic configurations: modelling and first experiments

Heat and particle loads on the plasma facing components are among the most challenging issues to be solved for a reactor design. Alternative magnetic configurations may enable tokamak operation with a lower peak heat load than a standard single null (SN) divertor. This papers reports on the creation and control of one of such alternatives: a two-null nearby divertor configuration. An important element of this study is that this two-null divertor was produced on a large superconducting tokamak as an experimental advanced superconducting tokamak. A preliminary experiment with the second null forming a configuration with significant distance between the two nulls and a contracting geometry near the target plates was performed in 2014. These configurations have been designed using the FIXFREE code and optimized with CREATE-NL tools and are discussed in the paper. Predictive edge simulations using the TECXY code are also presented by comparing the advanced divertor and SN configuration. Finally, the experimental results of ohmic and low confinement (L-mode) two-null divertor and SN discharges and interpretative two-dimensional edge simulations are discussed. Future experiments will be devoted to varying the distance between the two nulls in high confinement (H-mode) discharges.

Localized bulk electron heating with ICRF mode conversion in the JET tokamak

Ion cyclotron resonance frequencies (ICRF) mode conversion has been developed for localized on-axis and off-axis bulk electron heating on the JET tokamak. The fast magnetosonic waves launched from the low-field side ICRF antennas are mode-converted to short-wavelength waves on the high-field side of the 3He ion cyclotron resonance layer in D and 4He plasmas and subsequently damped on the bulk electrons. The resulting electron power deposition, measured using ICRF power modulation, is narrow with a typical full-width at half-maximum of ?30?cm (i.e. about 30% of the minor radius) and the total deposited power to electrons comprises at least up to 80% of the applied ICRF power. The ICRF mode conversion power deposition has been kept constant using 3He bleed throughout the ICRF phase with a typical duration of 4?6?s, i.e. 15?40 energy confinement times. Using waves propagating in the counter-current direction minimizes competing ion damping in the presence of co-injected deuterium beam ions.

Efficiency of lower hybrid current drive at 2.45 GHz in ASDEX

The experimental lower hybrid current drive efficiency at zero electric field is found to agree with theory if the spectrum of the lower hybrid waves is fully accessible to the central region of the plasma. For broad or very low parallel wave number spectra, N∥, for which the plane wave accessibility condition is not fully satisfied, the observed efficiency is higher than predicted. At non-zero electric field, the measurements agree with theories for an electric field dependent efficiency. The model can also be applied to experiments in which a symmetric spectrum of waves is launched, or to cases where the current is driven opposite to the DC electric field if runaway electrons can be neglected. A shift of the deposition zone by superposition of a low N∥ current drive spectrum and a high N∥ symmetric spectrum does not change the current drive efficiency.

Progress in LHCD : a tool for advanced regimes on ITER

The recent success in coupling lower hybrid (LH) waves in high performance plasmas at JET together with the first demonstration on FTU of the coupling capability of the new passive active multijunction launcher removed major concerns on the possibility of using LH on ITER. LH exhibits the highest experimental current drive (CD) efficiency at low plasma temperature thus making it the natural candidate for off-axis CD on ITER where current profile control will help in maintaining burning performance on a long-time scale. We review recent LH results: long internal transport barrier obtained in JET with current profile sustained and controlled by LH acting under real time feedback together with first LH control of flat q-profile in a hybrid regime with T e ∼ T i . Minutes long fully non-inductive LH driven discharges on Tore Supra (TS). High CD efficiency with electron cyclotron in synergy with LH obtained in FTU and TS opening the possibility of interesting scenarii on ITER for MHD stabilization. Preliminary results of LH modelling for ITER are also reported. A brief overview of ITER LH system is reported together with some indication of new coming LH experiments, in particular KSTAR where CW klystrons at the foreseen ITER frequency of 5 GHz are being developed.

Bright spots generated by lower hybrid waves on JET

Observations of bright spots on the JET divertor aprons during lower hybrid current drive experiments are described. These bright spots are important because they can potentially cause damage to large tokamaks. The bright spots arise due to the impact of a fast particle beam. This beam originates from the front of the lower hybrid launcher, where thermal particles are accelerated according to theory by interaction with the high spatial harmonics of the lower hybrid wave. The bright spots are clearly related to the lower hybrid power as they disappear when the lower hybrid power is switched off. According to the analysis versus various parameters, the brightness of the spots clearly decreases with increasing plasma–wall distance, i.e. the distance between the last closed flux surface and the poloidal limiter. This is clearly beneficial for ITER, as it is designed to operate at a large plasma–wall distance.

Hybrid advanced scenarios: perspectives for ITER and new experiments with dominant RF heating

A hybrid scenario for ITER is defined through its objectives: a large fusion yield for a long time duration. In many tokamaks, discharges characterized by a stationary current density profile, enclosing a large volume of low magnetic shear with q(0) near 1, have achieved improved confinement and higher beta limits. Their extrapolation to ITER from existing data corresponds to the ITER hybrid scenario. These discharges are characterized by soft MHD events. Physics issues relevant to the existence and extrapolation of this scenario will be addressed. New JET experiments with a large component of RF heating have answered some of these issues: injected momentum is not essential, hybrid scenarios are achievable at low rho(*), hybrid regimes have been achieved with ITER-relevant T-e/T-i and they are compatible with a very low edge activity/low pressure pedestal. Data from pure RF discharges in other tokamaks (FTU, TS, TCV) seem to confirm that a large volume of low magnetic shear with q(0) close to 1 is the key to achieving hybrid scenarios. Issues needing resolution in the extrapolation to ITER are discussed. The present understanding provides encouraging prospects for the use of this scenario in ITER.

Investigations of LHW-plasma coupling and current drive at high density related to H-mode experiments in EAST

Two important issues in achieving lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) high confinement plasma in EAST are to improve lower hybrid wave (LHW)-plasma coupling and to drive the plasma current at a high density. Studies in different configurations with different directions of toroidal magnetic field (Bt) show that the density near the antenna is affected by both the radial electric field induced by plasma without a LHW (Er_plasma) in the scrape off layer (SOL), and the radial electric field induced by LHW power (Er_LH) near the grill. Investigations indicate that Er × Bt in the SOL leads to a different effect of configuration on the LHW-plasma coupling and Er_LH × Bt accounts for the asymmetric density behaviour in the SOL observed in the experiments, where Er is the total radial electric field in the SOL. Modelling of parametric instability (PI), collisional absorption (CA) and scattering from density fluctuations (SDF) in the edge region, performed considering the parameters of high density LHCD experiments in EAST, has shown that these mechanisms could be responsible for the low current drive (CD) efficiency at high density. Radiofrequency probe spectra, useful for documenting PI occurrence, show sidebands whose amplitude in the case of the lithiated vacuum chamber is smaller than in the case of poor lithiation, consistently with growth rates from PI modeling of the respective reference discharges. Since strong lithiation is also expected to diminish the parasitic effect on the LHCD of the remaining possible mechanisms, this appears to be a useful method for improving LHCD efficiency at a high density.