731 research outputs found
Core micro-instability analysis of JET hybrid and baseline discharges with carbon wall
The core micro-instability characteristics of hybrid and baseline plasmas in
a selected set of JET plasmas with carbon wall are investigated through local
linear and non-linear and global linear gyro-kinetic simulations with the GYRO
code [J. Candy and E. Belli, General Atomics Report GA-A26818 (2011)]. In
particular, we study the role of plasma pressure on the micro-instabilities,
and scan the parameter space for the important plasma parameters responsible
for the onset and stabilization of the modes under experimental conditions. We
find that a good core confinement due to strong stabilization of the
micro-turbulence driven transport can be expected in the hybrid plasmas due to
the stabilizing effect of the fast ion pressure that is more effective at the
low magnetic shear of the hybrid discharges. While parallel velocity gradient
destabilization is important for the inner core, at outer radii the hybrid
plasmas may benefit from a strong quench of the turbulence transport by
rotation shear.Comment: accepted for publication in Nuclear Fusio
Formation of convective cells in the scrape-off layer of the CASTOR tokamak
Understanding of the scrape-off layer (SOL) physics in tokamaks requires
diagnostics with sufficient temporal and spatial resolution. This contribution
describes results of experiments performed in the SOL of the CASTOR tokamak
(R=40 cm, a = 6 cm) by means of a ring of 124 Langmuir probes surrounding the
whole poloidal cross section. The individual probes measure either the ion
saturation current of the floating potential with the spatial resolution up to
3 mm. Experiments are performed in a particular magnetic configuration,
characterized by a long parallel connection length in the SOL, L_par ~q2piR. We
report on measurements in discharges, where the edge electric field is modified
by inserting a biased electrode into the edge plasma. In particular, a complex
picture is observed, if the biased electrode is located inside the SOL. The
poloidal distribution of the floating potential appears to be strongly
non-uniform at biasing. The peaks of potential are observed at particular
poloidal angles. This is interpreted as formation of a biased flux tube, which
emanates from the electrode along the magnetic field lines and snakes q times
around the torus. The resulting electric field in the SOL is 2-dimensional,
having the radial as well as the poloidal component. It is demonstrated that
the poloidal electric field E_pol convects the edge plasma radially due to the
E_pol x B_T drift either inward or outward depending on its sign. The
convective particle flux is by two orders of magnitude larger than the
fluctuation-induced one and consequently dominates.Comment: 12th International Congress on Plasma Physics, 25-29 October 2004,
Nice (France
ELM triggering conditions for the integrated modeling of H-mode plasmas
Recent advances in the integrated modeling of ELMy H-mode plasmas are
presented. A model for the H-mode pedestal and for the triggering of ELMs
predicts the height, width, and shape of the H-mode pedestal and the frequency
and width of ELMs. Formation of the pedestal and the L-H transition is the
direct result of ExB flow shear suppression of anomalous transport. The
periodic ELM crashes are triggered by either the ballooning or peeling MHD
instabilities. The BALOO, DCON, and ELITE ideal MHD stability codes are used to
derive a new parametric expression for the peeling-ballooning threshold. The
new dependence for the peeling-ballooning threshold is implemented in the ASTRA
transport code. Results of integrated modeling of DIII-D like discharges are
presented and compared with experimental observations. The results from the
ideal MHD stability codes are compared with results from the resistive MHD
stability code NIMROD.Comment: 12th International Congress on Plasma Physics, 25-29 October 2004,
Nice (France
Integrated core–SOL–divertor modelling for ITER including impurity: effect of tungsten on fusion performance in H-mode and hybrid scenario
The compatibility of two operational constraints—operation above the L–H power threshold and at low power to divertor—is examined for ITER long pulse H-mode and hybrid scenarios in integrated core–scrape off layer (SOL)–divertor modelling including impurities (intrinsic Be, He, W and seeded Ne). The core thermal, particle and momentum transport is simulated with the GLF23 transport model tested in the self-consistent simulations of temperatures, density and toroidal rotation velocity in JET hybrid discharges and extrapolated to ITER. The beneficial effect of toroidal rotation velocity on fusion gain is shown. The sensitivity studies with respect to operational (separatrix and pedestal density, Ne gas puff) and unknown physics (W convective velocity and perpendicular diffusion in SOL as well as W prompt re-deposition) parameters are performed to determine their influence on the operational window and fusion gain.</p
Development and Validation of a Tokamak Skin Effect Transformer model
A control oriented, lumped parameter model for the tokamak transformer
including the slow flux penetration in the plasma (skin effect transformer
model) is presented. The model does not require detailed or explicit
information about plasma profiles or geometry. Instead, this information is
lumped in system variables, parameters and inputs. The model has an exact
mathematical structure built from energy and flux conservation theorems,
predicting the evolution and non linear interaction of the plasma current and
internal inductance as functions of the primary coil currents, plasma
resistance, non-inductive current drive and the loop voltage at a specific
location inside the plasma (equilibrium loop voltage). Loop voltage profile in
the plasma is substituted by a three-point discretization, and ordinary
differential equations are used to predict the equilibrium loop voltage as
function of the boundary and resistive loop voltages. This provides a model for
equilibrium loop voltage evolution, which is reminiscent of the skin effect.
The order and parameters of this differential equation are determined
empirically using system identification techniques. Fast plasma current
modulation experiments with Random Binary Signals (RBS) have been conducted in
the TCV tokamak to generate the required data for the analysis. Plasma current
was modulated in Ohmic conditions between 200kA and 300kA with 30ms rise time,
several times faster than its time constant L/R\approx200ms. The model explains
the most salient features of the plasma current transients without requiring
detailed or explicit information about resistivity profiles. This proves that
lumped parameter modeling approach can be used to predict the time evolution of
bulk plasma properties such as plasma inductance or current with reasonable
accuracy; at least in Ohmic conditions without external heating and current
drive sources
Recent EUROfusion Achievements in Support of Computationally Demanding Multiscale Fusion Physics Simulations and Integrated Modeling
Integrated modeling (IM) of present experiments and future tokamak reactors requires the provision of computational resources and numerical tools capable of simulating multiscale spatial phenomena as well as fast transient events and relatively slow plasma evolution within a reasonably short computational time. Recent progress in the implementation of the new computational resources for fusion applications in Europe based on modern supercomputer technologies (supercomputer MARCONI-FUSION), in the optimization and speedup of the EU fusion-related first-principle codes, and in the development of a basis for physics codes/modules integration into a centrally maintained suite of IM tools achieved within the EUROfusion Consortium is presented. Physics phenomena that can now be reasonably modelled in various areas (core turbulence and magnetic reconnection, edge and scrape-off layer physics, radio-frequency heating and current drive, magnetohydrodynamic model, reflectometry simulations) following successful code optimizations and parallelization are briefly described. Development activities in support to IM are summarized. They include support to (1) the local deployment of the IM infrastructure and access to experimental data at various host sites, (2) the management of releases for sophisticated IM workflows involving a large number of components, and (3) the performance optimization of complex IM workflows.This work has been carried out within the framework of the EUROfusion Consortium and has received funding from the Euratom research and training programme 2014 to 2018 under grant agreement 633053. The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the European Commission or ITER.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version
Modelling of JET hybrid scenarios with GLF23 transport model: E × B shear stabilization of anomalous transport
The E × B shear stabilization of anomalous transport in JET hybrid discharges is studied via self-consistent predictive modelling of electron and ion temperature, ion density and toroidal rotation velocity performed with the GLF23 model. The E × B shear stabilization factor (parameter α E in the GLF23 model) is adjusted to predict accurately the four simulated quantities under different experimental conditions, and the uncertainty in α E determined by 15% deviation between simulated and measured quantities is estimated. A correlation of α E with toroidal rotation velocity and E × B shearing rate is found in the low density plasmas, suggesting that the turbulence quench rule may be more complicated than assumed in the GLF23 model with constant α E . For the selected discharges the best predictive accuracy is obtained by using weak/no E × B shear stabilization (i.e. α E ≈ 0) at low toroidal angular frequency (Ω < 60 krad s −1 ), even in the scenarios with the current overshoot, and α E = 0.9 at high frequency (Ω > 100 krad s −1 ). Interestingly, a weak E × B shear stabilization of anomalous transport is found in the medium density strongly rotating discharge. An importance of linear β e stabilization in this discharge is estimated and compared to the low density discharge with equally high β e . The toroidal rotation velocity is well predicted here by assuming that the momentum diffusion coefficient is a fraction of thermal ion diffusivity. Taking into account the α E and Prandtl number with their uncertainties determined in the modelling of JET hybrid discharges, the performance of ITER hybrid scenario with optimized heat mix (33 MW of NBI and 20 MW of ECCD) is estimated showing the importance of toroidal rotation for achieving Q > 5.</p
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