Research and Development of Imaging Bolometers

An overview of the research and development of imaging bolometers giving a perspective on the applicability of this diagnostic to a fusion reactor is presented. Traditionally the total power lost from a high temperature, magnetically confined plasma through radiation and neutral particles has been measured using one dimensional arrays of resistive bolometers. The large number of signal wires associated with these resistive bolometers poses hazards not only at the vacuum interface, but also in the loss of electrical contacts that has been observed in the presence of fusion reactor levels of neutron flux. Imaging bolometers, on the other hand, use the infrared radiation from the absorbing metal foil to transfer the signal through the vacuum interface and out from behind a neutron shield. Recently a prototype imaging bolometer known as the InfraRed imaging Video Bolometer has been deployed on the JT-60U tokamak which demonstrates the ability of this diagnostic to operate in a reactor environment. The application of computed tomography demonstrates the ability of one imaging bolometer with a semi-tangential view to produce images of the plasma emissivity. In addition, new detector foil development promises to strengthen the foil and increase the sensitivity by an order of magnitude

Current ramps in tokamaks: from present experiments to ITER scenarios

In order to prepare adequate current ramp-up and ramp-down scenarios for ITER, present experiments from various tokamaks have been analysed by means of integrated modelling in view of determining relevant heat transport models for these operation phases. A set of empirical heat transport models for L-mode (namely, the Bohm-gyroBohm model and scaling based models with a specific fixed radial shape and energy confinement time factors of H(96-L) = 0.6 or H(IPB98) = 0.4) has been validated on a multi-machine experimental dataset for predicting the l(i) dynamics within +/- 0.15 accuracy during current ramp-up and ramp-down phases. Simulations using the Coppi-Tang or GLF23 models (applied up to the LCFS) overestimate or underestimate the internal inductance beyond this accuracy (more than +/- 0.2 discrepancy in some cases). The most accurate heat transport models are then applied to projections to ITER current ramp-up, focusing on the baseline inductive scenario (main heating plateau current of I(p) = 15 MA). These projections include a sensitivity study to various assumptions of the simulation. While the heat transport model is at the heart of such simulations (because of the intrinsic dependence of the plasma resistivity on electron temperature, among other parameters), more comprehensive simulations are required to test all operational aspects of the current ramp-up and ramp-down phases of ITER scenarios. Recent examples of such simulations, involving coupled core transport codes, free-boundary equilibrium solvers and a poloidal field (PF) systems controller are also described, focusing on ITER current ramp-down.</p

Improvement of JT-60U Negative Ion Source Performance

The negative ion neutral beam system now operating on JT-60U was the first application of negative ion technology to the production of beams of high current and power for conversion to neutral beams, and has successfully demonstrated the feasibility of negative ion beam heating systems for ITER and future tokamak reactors [1, 2]. It also demonstrated significant electron heating[3] and high current drive efficiency in JT-60U[4]. Because this was such a large advance in the state of the art with respect to all system parameters, many new physical processes appeared during the earlier phases of the beam injection experiments. We have explored the physical mechanisms responsible for these processes, and implemented solutions for some of them, in particular excessive beam stripping, the secular dependence of the arc and beam parameters, and nonuniformity of the plasma illuminating the beam extraction grid. This has reduced the percentage of beam heat loading on the downstream grids by roug hly a third, and permitted longer beam pulses at higher powers. Progress is being made in improving the negative ion current density, and in coping with the sensitivity of the cesium in the ion sources to oxidation by tiny air or water leaks, and the cathode operation is being altered

Transport modelling of JT-60U and JET plasmas with internal transport barriers towards prediction of JT-60SA high-beta steady-state scenario

Transport modelling of plasmas with internal transport barriers in JT-60U and JET tokamaks has been carried out using integrated modelling codes TOPICS and CRONOS for the prediction of high-beta steady-state scenario in JT-60SA, which shares important characteristics with both tokamaks. Typical models of anomalous heat transport, which is one of major uncertainties in the prediction, have been validated for the experimental data in JT-60U and JET, and TOPICS and CRONOS equipped with the models are used for the model verification. It is found that CDBM model predicts temperatures close to experiments or underestimates them, and thus can be used for the conservative prediction, which considers a lower bound of plasma performance. By using the CDBM model, a JT-60SA high-beta steady-state plasma has been conservatively predicted within the machine capability. The conservative prediction shows that the JT-60SA has enough capability to explore high-beta steady-state plasmas and their controllability. Model modifications related with an E × B shear effect to improve the prediction capability are discussed

Assessment of the Baseline Scenario at q95 ~ 3 for ITER

The International Tokamak Physics Activity topical group on integrated operational scenarios has compiled a database of stationary H-mode discharges at q 95 ~ 3 from AUG, C-Mod, DIII-D, JET and JT-60U, for both carbon wall and high-Z metal wall experiments with ~3300 entries. The analyses focus on discharges that are stationary for  ≥5 thermal energy confinement times to evaluate the baseline scenario proposed for ITER at 15 MA for achieving its goals of Q  =  10, fusion power of 500 MW at normalised pressure, β N  =  1.8 and normalised confinement as predicted by the standard H-mode scaling, H 98y2  =  1. With the data restricted to stationary H-modes at q 95 ~ 3, the database shows significant variation of thermal energy confinement compared to the standard H-mode scaling (IPB98(y,2)) in dimensionless form. The data show similar scaling with normalised gyro-radius, but more favourable scaling towards lower collision frequency and more favourable scaling with plasma beta. Using all the engineering variables employed in IPB98(y,2), results in an overfit due to correlations among the data. Moreover, there are significant residual trends in the confinement for plasma current, device size, loss power, and in particular for the plasma density. Significant differences between results obtained for devices with a carbon wall and high-Z metal wall are observed in the data, with data from carbon wall devices providing a larger operating space, encompassing ITER parameters or even exceeding them. H-modes in high-Z metal wall devices have, so-far, not accessed conditions at low collision frequencies, have lower normalised confinement (H 98y2 ~ 0.8–0.9) at low input power or beta, achieving H 98y2 ~ 1.0 only at input powers two times the L- to H-mode transition scaling predictions and at β N ~ 2.0. Hence, only the best H-modes with high-Z metal walls reach ITER baseline performance requirements. The data show that operating at high plasma density, with line-averaged density at 85% of Greenwald density is achievable for H 98y2  >  0.95 for a range of plasma configurations, and that operation at low plasma inductance with l i(3) ~ 0.7–0.75 is feasible. Scenario simulations employed for projecting the plasma performance in ITER should incorporate a lower thermal confinement at low plasma beta for the entry to burn and provide projections using higher levels of plasma core radiation by plasma impurities. Moreover, ITER projections should not subtract the core radiation in the evaluation of the thermal confinement time and H 98y2, to allow a fair comparison with experimental data currently available. From the data presented here, it is likely that in ITER the energy confinement time will not increase with plasma density and will have no degradation with plasma beta. The analyses indicate that the data at q 95 ~ 3 are consistent with achievement of the ITER mission goals at 15 MA