T.W. Petrie

Divertor heat flux reduction by D2 injection in DIII-D

D{sub 2} gas injected into ELMing H-mode discharges in DIII-D reduced total integrated heat flux to the divertor by {approximately}2{times} and peak heat flux by {approximately}5{times}, with only modest degradation to plasma stored energy. Steady gas injection without particle pumping results in eventual degradation in stored energy. The initial reduction in peak heat flux at the divertor tiles may be primarily due to the increase in radiated power from the X-point/divertor region. The eventual formation of a high density region near the X-point appears to play a role in momentum (and energy) transfer from the flux surfaces near the outboard strike point to flux surfaces farther out into the scrapeoff. This may also contribute to further reduction in peak heat flux.

Progress toward fully noninductive, high beta conditions in DIII-D

The DIII-D Advanced Tokamak (AT) program in the DIII-D tokamak [J. L. Luxon, Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion Research, 1986, Vol. I (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1987), p. 159] is aimed at developing a scientific basis for steady-state, high-performance operation in future devices. This requires simultaneously achieving 100% noninductive operation with high self-driven bootstrap current fraction and toroidal beta. Recent progress in this area includes demonstration of 100% noninductive conditions with toroidal beta, βT=3.6%, normalized beta, βN=3.5, and confinement factor, H89=2.4 with the plasma current driven completely by bootstrap, neutral beam current drive, and electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD). The equilibrium reconstructions indicate that the noninductive current profile is well aligned, with little inductively driven current remaining anywhere in the plasma. The current balance calculation improved with beam ion redistribution that was supported by recent fast ion diagno...

ELM energy scaling in DIII-D

The energy lost from the pedestal region due to an average ELM in DIII-D is determined from changes to the electron density and temperature profiles as measured by Thomson scattering. The ELM energy due to loss of temperature in the pedestal is associated with conduction and is found to decrease with increasing pedestal density. The ELM energy from lost pedestal density, or convective transport, remains constant as a function of density. The scaling of the two transport channels, conduction and convection, are examined in terms of parallel transport processes in the scrape-off-layer and divertor.

Survey of target plate heat flux in diverted DIII-D tokamak discharges

A series of observations is presented concerning divertor heat flux, qdiv, in the DIII-D tokamak, and it is shown that many features can be accounted for by assuming that the heat flux flows preferentially along field lines because τ|| < τ⊥ in the scrape-off layer (SOL). Exceptions to this agreement are pointed out and the discrepancies explained by means of two dimensional (2-D) effects. About 80% of the discharge input power can be accounted for. The power deposited on the target plate due to enhanced losses during edge localized modes (ELMs) is less than 10% of the total target power in most cases. X point height scans for lower single null (LSN) diverted discharges show that the peak heat flux variation is primarily due to flux expansion and secondarily due to transport of energy across the magnetic field in the divertor. At the outer strike point qdiv,peak Pin(Ip - Ip,0)G(gin)(1/Bt)4/9(Bdiv/Bmp)f(Ldivχ⊥), where G is a linear function of the inner gap, gin, over a specified range and f describes cross-field energy transport in the divertor. Evidence of radial in-out asymmetries (comparing the outer strike point with the inner strike point or centre-post) and toroidal asymmetries in qdiv is presented and the heat flux peaking due to tile gaps and misalignment of tiles is examined. For magnetically balanced double null (DN) discharges with downward ∇B ion drift, it is found that qdiv is inherently higher in the lower divertor than in the upper divertor, having a 3:1 downward bias. Examples of heat flux reduction by gas puffing deuterium or neon in LSN and DN discharges are given. At least a threefold reduction of the peak heat flux in both the upper and lower divertors of a DN discharge, using D2 puffing, is reported.

Transport of edge localized modes energy and particles into the scrape off layer and divertor of DIII-D

The reduction in size of Type I edge localized modes (ELMs) with increasing density is explored in DIII-D [J. L. Luxon, Nucl. Fusion 42, 614 (2002)] for the purpose of studying the underlying transport of ELM energy. The separate convective and conductive transport of energy due to an ELM is determined by Thomson scattering measurements of electron density and temperature in the pedestal. The conductive transport from the pedestal during an ELM decreases with increasing density, while the convective transport remains nearly constant. The scaling of the ELM energy loss is compared with an edge stability model. The role of the divertor sheath in limiting energy loss from the pedestal during an ELM is explored. Evidence of outward radial transport to the midplane wall during an ELM is also presented.

HIGH PERFORMANCE H-MODE PLASMAS AT DENSITIES ABOVE THE GREENWALD LIMIT

Densities of up to 40% above the Greenwald limit are reproducibly achieved in high confinement (HITER89P = 2) ELMing H mode discharges. Simultaneous gas fuelling and divertor pumping were used to obtain these results. Confinement of these discharges, similar to moderate density H mode, is characterized by a stiff temperature profile, and is therefore sensitive to the density profile. A particle transport model is presented that explains the roles of divertor pumping and geometry for access to high densities. The energy loss per ELM at high density is a factor of five lower than the predictions of an earlier scaling, based on data from lower density discharges.

Investigation of physical processes limiting plasma density in high confinement mode discharges on DIII-D

A series of experiments was conducted on the DIII-D tokamak [J. L. Luxon and L. G. Davis, Fusion Technol. 8, 441 (1985)] to investigate the physical processes which limit density in high confinement mode (H-mode) discharges. The typical H-mode to low confinement mode (L-mode) transition limit at high density near the empirical Greenwald density limit [M. Greenwald et al., Nucl. Fusion 28, 2199 (1988)] was avoided by divertor pumping, which reduced divertor neutral pressure and prevented formation of a high density, intense radiation zone (MARFE) near the X-point. It was determined that the density decay time after pellet injection was independent of density relative to the Greenwald limit and increased nonlinearly with the plasma current. Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) activity in pellet-fueled plasmas was observed at all power levels, and often caused unacceptable confinement degradation, except when the neutral beam injected (NBI) power was ⩽3 MW. Formation of MARFEs on closed field lines was avoided with lo...

UEDGE and DEGAS modeling of the DIII-D scrape-off layer plasma☆

This paper presents work to develop benchmarked theoretical models of scrape-off-layer (SOL) characteristics in diverted tokamaks by comparing shot simulations using the UEDGE plasma fluid and DEGAS neutral transport codes to measurements of the DIII-D SOL plasma. The experimental data include the radial profiles of n{sub e} T{sub e}, and T{sub i}, the divertor exhaust power, the intensity of H{sub {alpha}} emission, and profiles of the radiated power. A very simple model of the anomalous perpendicular transport rates produces consistency between the calculated and measured radial profiles of the divertor power, and of the midplane densities and temperatures. Experimentally, the measured exhaust power is now 80--90% of the input power. The simulated peak power on the outer leg of the divertor floor is now within 20% of the measured power. Various sensitivities of these comparisons to model assumptions are described. Finally, these benchmarked models have been used to examine the effects of various baffle configurations for the Radiative Divertor Upgrade in DIII-D.

Physics of confinement improvement of plasmas with impurity injection in DIII-D

External impurity injection into L mode edge discharges in DIII-D has produced clear confinement improvement (a factor of 2 in energy confinement and neutron emission), reduction in all transport channels (particularly ion thermal diffusivity to the neoclassical level), and simultaneous reduction of long wavelength turbulence. Suppression of the long wavelength turbulence and transport reduction are attributed to synergistic effects of impurity induced enhancement of E × B shearing rate and reduction of toroidal drift wave turbulence growth rate. A prompt reduction of density fluctuations and local transport at the beginning of impurity injection appears to result from an increased gradient of toroidal rotation enhancing the E × B shearing. Transport simulations carried out using the National Transport Code Collaboration demonstration code with a gyro-Landau fluid model, GLF23, indicate that E × B shearing suppression is the dominant transport suppression mechanism.

Measurements of non-axisymmetric effects in the DIII-D divertor

Abstract Non-stationary toroidal asymmetries are observed in the DIII-D divertor heat flux and scrape-off layer (SOL) currents. Using the present DIII-D diagnostics, asymmetries are seen much less frequently in single-null H-modes ( 50%). Divertor heat flux asymmetries are characterized by toroidal variations in the radial profile (i.e., multiple or bifurcated peaks) at some toroidal locations and single peaks at other toroidal locations while SOL currents sometimes have a strongly bipolar toroidal structure. SOL current asymmetries are particularly large during Edge Localized Modes (ELMs). The measurements reported here indicate that the asymmetries are best described by a model in which non-axisymmetric radial magnetic perturbations create magnetic islands in the plasma boundary and SOL which then cause toroidal variation in the divertor heat flux and the SOL currents.