| 1. |
- Stroth, U., et al.
(författare)
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Progress from ASDEX Upgrade experiments in preparing the physics basis of ITER operation and DEMO scenario development
- 2022
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Ingår i: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 1741-4326 .- 0029-5515. ; 62:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An overview of recent results obtained at the tokamak ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) is given. A work flow for predictive profile modelling of AUG discharges was established which is able to reproduce experimental H-mode plasma profiles based on engineering parameters only. In the plasma center, theoretical predictions on plasma current redistribution by a dynamo effect were confirmed experimentally. For core transport, the stabilizing effect of fast ion distributions on turbulent transport is shown to be important to explain the core isotope effect and improves the description of hollow low-Z impurity profiles. The L-H power threshold of hydrogen plasmas is not affected by small helium admixtures and it increases continuously from the deuterium to the hydrogen level when the hydrogen concentration is raised from 0 to 100%. One focus of recent campaigns was the search for a fusion relevant integrated plasma scenario without large edge localised modes (ELMs). Results from six different ELM-free confinement regimes are compared with respect to reactor relevance: ELM suppression by magnetic perturbation coils could be attributed to toroidally asymmetric turbulent fluctuations in the vicinity of the separatrix. Stable improved confinement mode plasma phases with a detached inner divertor were obtained using a feedback control of the plasma β. The enhanced D α H-mode regime was extended to higher heating power by feedback controlled radiative cooling with argon. The quasi-coherent exhaust regime was developed into an integrated scenario at high heating power and energy confinement, with a detached divertor and without large ELMs. Small ELMs close to the separatrix lead to peeling-ballooning stability and quasi continuous power exhaust. Helium beam density fluctuation measurements confirm that transport close to the separatrix is important to achieve the different ELM-free regimes. Based on separatrix plasma parameters and interchange-drift-Alfvén turbulence, an analytic model was derived that reproduces the experimentally found important operational boundaries of the density limit and between L- and H-mode confinement. Feedback control for the X-point radiator (XPR) position was established as an important element for divertor detachment control. Stable and detached ELM-free phases with H-mode confinement quality were obtained when the XPR was moved 10 cm above the X-point. Investigations of the plasma in the future flexible snow-flake divertor of AUG by means of first SOLPS-ITER simulations with drifts activated predict beneficial detachment properties and the activation of an additional strike point by the drifts.
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| 2. |
- Meyer, H.F., et al.
(författare)
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Overview of physics studies on ASDEX Upgrade
- 2019
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Ingår i: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 1741-4326 .- 0029-5515. ; 59:11
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) programme, jointly run with the EUROfusion MST1 task force, continues to significantly enhance the physics base of ITER and DEMO. Here, the full tungsten wall is a key asset for extrapolating to future devices. The high overall heating power, flexible heating mix and comprehensive diagnostic set allows studies ranging from mimicking the scrape-off-layer and divertor conditions of ITER and DEMO at high density to fully non-inductive operation (q 95 = 5.5, ) at low density. Higher installed electron cyclotron resonance heating power 6 MW, new diagnostics and improved analysis techniques have further enhanced the capabilities of AUG. Stable high-density H-modes with MW m-1 with fully detached strike-points have been demonstrated. The ballooning instability close to the separatrix has been identified as a potential cause leading to the H-mode density limit and is also found to play an important role for the access to small edge-localized modes (ELMs). Density limit disruptions have been successfully avoided using a path-oriented approach to disruption handling and progress has been made in understanding the dissipation and avoidance of runaway electron beams. ELM suppression with resonant magnetic perturbations is now routinely achieved reaching transiently . This gives new insight into the field penetration physics, in particular with respect to plasma flows. Modelling agrees well with plasma response measurements and a helically localised ballooning structure observed prior to the ELM is evidence for the changed edge stability due to the magnetic perturbations. The impact of 3D perturbations on heat load patterns and fast-ion losses have been further elaborated. Progress has also been made in understanding the ELM cycle itself. Here, new fast measurements of and E r allow for inter ELM transport analysis confirming that E r is dominated by the diamagnetic term even for fast timescales. New analysis techniques allow detailed comparison of the ELM crash and are in good agreement with nonlinear MHD modelling. The observation of accelerated ions during the ELM crash can be seen as evidence for the reconnection during the ELM. As type-I ELMs (even mitigated) are likely not a viable operational regime in DEMO studies of 'natural' no ELM regimes have been extended. Stable I-modes up to have been characterised using -feedback. Core physics has been advanced by more detailed characterisation of the turbulence with new measurements such as the eddy tilt angle - measured for the first time - or the cross-phase angle of and fluctuations. These new data put strong constraints on gyro-kinetic turbulence modelling. In addition, carefully executed studies in different main species (H, D and He) and with different heating mixes highlight the importance of the collisional energy exchange for interpreting energy confinement. A new regime with a hollow profile now gives access to regimes mimicking aspects of burning plasma conditions and lead to nonlinear interactions of energetic particle modes despite the sub-Alfvénic beam energy. This will help to validate the fast-ion codes for predicting ITER and DEMO.
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| 3. |
- Biel, W., et al.
(författare)
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Diagnostics for plasma control - : From ITER to DEMO
- 2019
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Ingår i: Fusion engineering and design. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA. - 0920-3796 .- 1873-7196. ; 146:A, s. 465-472
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The plasma diagnostic and control (D&C) system for a future tokamak demonstration fusion reactor (DEMO) will have to provide reliable operation near technical and physics limits, while its front-end components will be subject to strong adverse effects within the nuclear and high temperature plasma environment. The ongoing developments for the ITER D&C system represent an important starting point for progressing towards DEMO. Requirements for detailed exploration of physics are however pushing the ITER diagnostic design towards using sophisticated methods and aiming for large spatial coverage and high signal intensities, so that many front-end components have to be mounted in forward positions. In many cases this results in a rapid aging of diagnostic components, so that additional measures like protection shutters, plasma based mirror cleaning or modular approaches for frequent maintenance and exchange are being developed. Under the even stronger fluences of plasma particles, neutron/gamma and radiation loads on DEMO, durable and reliable signals for plasma control can only be obtained by selecting diagnostic methods with regard to their robustness, and retracting vulnerable front-end components into protected locations. Based on this approach, an initial DEMO D&C concept is presented, which covers all major control issues by signals to be derived from at least two different diagnostic methods (risk mitigation).
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| 4. |
- Biel, W., et al.
(författare)
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Development of a concept and basis for the DEMO diagnostic and control system
- 2022
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Ingår i: Fusion engineering and design. - : Elsevier. - 0920-3796 .- 1873-7196. ; 179
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An initial concept for the plasma diagnostic and control (D&C) system has been developed as part of European studies towards the development of a demonstration tokamak fusion reactor (DEMO). The main objective is to develop a feasible, integrated concept design of the DEMO D&C system that can provide reliable plasma control and high performance (electricity output) over extended periods of operation. While the fusion power is maximized when operating near to the operational limits of the tokamak, the reliability of operation typically improves when choosing parameters significantly distant from these limits. In addition to these conflicting requirements, the D&C development has to cope with strong adverse effects acting on all in vessel components on DEMO (harsh neutron environment, particle fluxes, temperatures, electromagnetic forces, etc.). Moreover, space allocation and plasma access are constrained by the needs for first wall integrity and optimization of tritium breeding. Taking into account these boundary conditions, the main DEMO plasma control issues have been formulated, and a list of diagnostic systems and channels needed for plasma control has been developed, which were selected for their robustness and the required coverage of control issues. For a validation and refinement of this concept, simulation tools are being refined and applied for equilibrium, kinetic and mode control studies.
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| 5. |
- Luda, T., et al.
(författare)
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Validation of IMEP on Alcator C-Mod and JET-ILW ELMy H-mode plasmas
- 2023
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Ingår i: Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 0741-3335 .- 1361-6587. ; 65:3, s. 034001-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The recently developed integrated model based on engineering parameters (IMEP) (Luda et al 2020 Nucl. Fusion 61 126048; Luda et al 2021 Nucl. Fusion 60 036023), so far validated on ASDEX Upgrade, has been tested on a database of 3 Alcator C-Mod and 55 JET-ILW ELMy (type I) H-mode stationary phases. The empirical pedestal transport model included in IMEP, consisting now of imposing a fixed value of R < & nabla;T-e > /T-e,T-top = -82.5, allows an accurate prediction of the pedestal top temperature (when the pedestal top density is fixed to the experimental measurements) across these three machines with different sizes, when the pedestal is peeling-ballooning (PB) limited. Cases far from the ideal PB boundary, corresponding to high edge Spitzer resistivity, are instead strongly overpredicted by IMEP. A comparison between the predictions of Europed and IMEP for a subset of JET-ILW cases shows that IMEP can more accurately reproduce the experimental pedestal width. This allows IMEP to better capture profile effects on the pedestal stability, and therefore to correctly describe the negative effect of fueling on the pedestal pressure for PB limited cases. A strong correlation between the separatrix density and the fueling rate has been identified for a subset of JET-ILW cases, when taking into account different divertor configurations. Overall, these promising results encourage further developments of integrated models to obtain reliable predictions of pedestal and global confinement using only engineering parameters for present and future machines.
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