P. Vondracek

Status of the COMPASS tokamak and characterization of the first H-mode

This paper summarizes the status of the COMPASS tokamak, its comprehensive diagnostic equipment and plasma scenarios as a baseline for the future studies. The former COMPASS-D tokamak was in operation at UKAEA Culham, UK in 1992–2002. Later, the device was transferred to the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (IPP AS CR), where it was installed during 2006–2011. Since 2012 the device has been in a full operation with Type-I and Type-III ELMy H-modes as a base scenario. This enables together with the ITER-like plasma shape and flexible NBI heating system (two injectors enabling co- or balanced injection) to perform ITER relevant studies in different parameter range to the other tokamaks (ASDEX-Upgrade, DIII-D, JET) and to contribute to the ITER scallings. In addition to the description of the device, current status and the main diagnostic equipment, the paper focuses on the characterization of the Ohmic as well as NBI-assisted H-modes. Moreover, Edge Localized Modes (ELMs) are categorized based on their frequency dependence on power density flowing across separatrix. The filamentary structure of ELMs is studied and the parallel heat flux in individual filaments is measured by probes on the outer mid-plane and in the divertor. The measurements are supported by observation of ELM and inter-ELM filaments by an ultra-fast camera.

Multi-machine scaling of the main SOL parallel heat flux width in tokamak limiter plasmas

As in many of todays tokamaks, plasma start-up in ITER will be performed in limiter configuration on either the inner or outer midplane first wall (FW). The massive, beryllium armored ITER FW pane ...

Fast measurements of the electron temperature and parallel heat flux in ELMy H-mode on the COMPASS tokamak

We report the latest results on fast measurements of the electron temperature and parallel heat flux in the COMPASS tokamak scrape-off layer (SOL) and divertor region during ELMy H-mode plasmas. The system of ball-pen and Langmuir probes installed on the divertor target, the horizontal reciprocating manipulator and the fast data-acquisition system with sampling frequency rate f = 5 MSa s−1 allow us to measure the electron temperature and parallel heat flux during inter-ELM and ELM periods with high temporal resolution. The filamentary structure of the electron temperature and parallel heat flux was observed during ELMs in the SOL as well as in the divertor region. The position of the filaments within ELMs is not regular and therefore the resulting conditionally averaged ELM neglects the peak values of the electron temperature and parallel heat flux. We have found a substantial difference between the value of the radial power decay length in the inter-ELM period λ q,inter = 2.5 mm and the decay length of the peak ELM heat flux λ q,ELM = 13.1 mm. The decay length of the ELM energy density was found to be λ E,ELM = 5.4 mm.

Profile measurements of the electron temperature on the ASDEX Upgrade, COMPASS, and ISTTOK tokamak using Thomson scattering, triple, and ball-pen probes

The ball-pen probe (BPP) technique is used successfully to make profile measurements of the electron temperature on the ASDEX Upgrade (Axially Symmetric Divertor Experiment), COMPASS (COMPact ASSembly), and ISTTOK (Instituto Superior Tecnico TOKamak) tokamak. The electron temperature is provided by a combination of the BPP potential (ΦBPP) and the floating potential (Vfl) of the Langmuir probe (LP), which is compared with the Thomson scattering diagnostic on ASDEX Upgrade and COMPASS. Excellent agreement between the two diagnostics is obtained for circular and diverted plasmas and different heating mechanisms (Ohmic, NBI, ECRH) in deuterium discharges with the same formula Te = (ΦBPP - Vfl)/2.2. The comparative measurements of the electron temperature using BPP/LP and triple probe (TP) techniques on the ISTTOK tokamak show good agreement of averaged values only inside the separatrix. It was also found that the TP provides the electron temperature with significantly higher standard deviation than BPP/LP. However, the resulting values of both techniques are well in the phase with the maximum of cross-correlation function being 0.8.

First dedicated observations of runaway electrons in the COMPASS tokamak

Abstract Runaway electrons present an important part of the present efforts in nuclear fusion research with respect to the potential damage of the in-vessel components. The COMPASS tokamak a suitable tool for the studies of runaway electrons, due to its relatively low vacuum safety constraints, high experimental flexibility and the possibility of reaching the H-mode D-shaped plasmas. In this work, results from the first experimental COMPASS campaign dedicated to runaway electrons are presented and discussed in preliminary way. In particular, the first observation of synchrotron radiation and rather interesting raw magnetic data are shown.

Comparison between 2D turbulence model ESEL and experimental data from AUG and COMPASS tokamaks

In this article we have used the 2D fluid turbulence numerical model, ESEL, to simulate turbulent transport in edge tokamak plasma. Basic plasma parameters from the ASDEX Upgrade and COMPASS tokamaks are used as input for the model, and the output is compared with experimental observations obtained by reciprocating probe measurements from the two machines. Agreements were found in radial profiles of mean plasma potential and temperature, and in a level of density fluctuations. Disagreements, however, were found in the level of plasma potential and temperature fluctuations. This implicates a need for an extension of the ESEL model from 2D to 3D to fully resolve the parallel dynamics, and the coupling from the plasma to the sheath.

Plans for Liquid Metal Divertor in Tokamak Compass

The COMPASS tokamak (R = 0.56 m, a = 0.2 m, BT = 1.3 T, Ip ~ 300 kA, pulse duration 0.4 s) operates in ITER-like plasma shape in H-mode with Type-I ELMs. In 2019, we plan to install into the divertor a test target based on capillary porous system filled with liquid lithium/tin. This single target will be inclined toroidally in order to be exposed to ITER-relevant surface heat flux (20 MW/m2). Based on precisely measured actual heat fluxes, our simulations predict (for 45° inclination, without accounting for the lithium vapor shielding) the surface temperature rises up to 700°C within 120 ms of the standard ELMy H-mode heat flux with ELM filaments reaching hundreds MW/m2. Significant lithium vaporization is expected. The target surface will be observed by spectroscopy, fast visible and infrared cameras. The scientific program will be focused on operational issues (redeposition of the evaporated metal, ejection of droplets, if any) as well as on the effect on the plasma physics (improvement of plasma confinement, L–H power threshold, Zeff, etc.). After 2024, a closed liquid divertor may be installed into the planned COMPASS Upgrade tokamak (R = 0.84 m, a = 0.3 m, BT = 5 T, Ip = 2 MA, Pin = 8 MW, pulse duration ~2 s) with ITER-relevant heat fluxes loading the entire toroidal divertor.

First simultaneous measurements of Reynolds stress with ball-pen and Langmuir probes

A new multi-pin probe head was installed and tested at the COMPASS tokamak. The probe head consists of several ball-pen and Langmuir probes in similar geometric configurations, which enables fast, simultaneous measurements of the radial and poloidal electric field components from differences of plasma or floating potentials using appropriately positioned ball-pen or Langmuir probes, respectively. The fast measurements of the radial electric field are compared with other methods of measuring selected frequency components of the radial electric field. The radial profiles of the Reynolds stress calculated from correlations of electric field fluctuations obtained by either probe type are compared along with their spectral composition. Lower Reynolds stress values are found for Langmuir probes in comparison to ball-pen probes due to negative contributions from higher frequency fluctuations possibly associated with electron temperature fluctuations.

Evaluation of the scrape-off-layer plasma parameters by a horizontal reciprocating Langmuir probe in the COMPASS tokamak

The scrape-off-layer (SOL) parameters in the COMPASS tokamak are studied by using a Langmuir probe mounted on a horizontal reciprocating manipulator. The radial profiles of the plasma potential, the electron energy distribution function and the electron densities are derived from the measured current-voltage probe characteristics by applying the firstderivative probe technique (FDPT). It is shown that close to the tokamak wall the electron energy distribution function is Maxwellian, while in the SOL, in the vicinity of the last closed flux surface and inside the confined plasma, the electron energy distribution function is bi-Maxwellian with a low-energy electron fraction dominating over a higher energy one. The radial profiles of the electron pressure and the parallel electron power flux density in COMPASS are also presented.