Algorithms for the Automatic Identification of MARFEs and UFOs in JET Database of Visible Camera Videos

MARFE instabilities and UFOs leave clear signatures in JET fast visible camera videos. Given the potential harmful consequences of these events, particularly as triggers of disruptions, it would be important to have the means of detecting them automatically. In this paper, the results of various algorithms to identify automatically the MARFEs and UFOs in JET visible videos are reported. The objective is to retrieve the videos, which have captured these events, exploring the whole JET database of images, as a preliminary step to the development of real-time identifiers in the future. For the detection of MARFEs, a complete identifier has been finalized, using morphological operators and Hu moments. The final algorithm manages to identify the videos with MARFEs with a success rate exceeding 80%. Due to the lack of a complete statistics of examples, the UFO identifier is less developed, but a preliminary code can detect UFOs quite reliably

A 3D electromagnetic model of the iron core in JET

The Magnet and Power Supplies system in JET includes a ferromagnetic core able to increase the transformer effect by improving the magnetic coupling with the plasma. The iron configuration is based on an inner cylindrical core and eight returning limbs; the ferromagnetic circuit is designed in such a way that the inner column saturates during standard operations [1]. The modelling of the magnetic circuit is a critical issue because of its impact on several applications, including equilibrium and reconstruction analysis required for control applications. The most used model in present applications is based on Equivalent Currents (ECs) placed on the iron boundary together with additional specific constraints, in a 2D axisymmetric frame. The (circular) ECs are chosen, by using the available magnetic measurements, to best represent the magnetic polarization effect [1]. Due to the axisymmetric assumption such approach is not well suited to deal with significant 3D effects, e.g. arising in operations with Error Field Correction Coils (EFCC). In this paper a new methodology is proposed, based on a set of 3D-shaped ECs and able to better model the actual 3D magnetization giving rise to a linear system to be solved. According to a well assessed approach [2], the 3D shape of ECs is represented by a set of elementary sources. The methodology has been successfully validated in a number of JET dry-run experiments where 3D effects are generated by EFCC currents. The new procedure has been designed to be easily coupled with equilibrium or reconstruction codes such as EFIT/V3FIT. The proposed model resulted to be very effective in representing 3D iron magnetization, especially if compared with typical 2D models. © 2017 The Author

Confinement studies in RFX

The results of the first year of operation of the experiment RFX are reported. Profiles of electron density, electron and ion temperature and impurity emission have been measured at plasma current I<0.7 MA. The energy confinement parameters at different density are reported, the best values ( tau E approximately 1ms, beta theta approximately 8%) being obtained operating at higher density. The role of the impurity content in determining the present performance of the experiment is discussed

Confinement studies on RFX

The results of the first year of operation of the experiment RFX are reported. Profiles of electron density, electron and ion temperature and impurity emission have been measured at plasma current I<0.7 MA. The energy confinement parameters at different density are reported, the best values ( tau E approximately 1ms, beta theta approximately 8%) being obtained operating at higher density. The role of the impurity content in determining the present performance of the experiment is discussed

Comparison of Different RFX Operation Modes

The results obtained in operating the RFX reversed field pinch experiment up to a plasma current of 0.8 MA are reported. Different reversed field pinch setting-up methods are discussed. The effect on energy confinement of control of the plasma column equilibrium, of the field errors at the gaps and of the impurities by means of boronization is described. In the best conditions, a constant be (> 10%) has been observed in the current range so far explored