Integrated modelling of island growth, stabilization and mode locking : consequences for NTM control on ITER

Full suppression of neoclassical tearing modes (NTMs) using electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) should be reached before mode locking (stop of rotation) makes suppression impossible. For an ITER scenario 2 plasma, the similar time scales for locking and island growth necessitate the combined modelling of the growth of the mode and its slow down due to wall induced drag. Using such a model, the maximum allowed latency between the seeding of the mode and the start of ECCD deposition and maximum deviation in the radial position are determined. The maximum allowed latency is determined for two limiting models for island growth; the polarization model with wmarg = 2 cm, representing the worst case, and the transport model with wmarg = 6 cm, representing the best case. NTMs with seed island widths up to 9.5 cm and 12 cm for the 2/1 and the 3/2 NTM, respectively, are suppressible. The maximum allowed latency is 1.05 s and 2.95 s for the 2/1 and 3/2 NTM, respectively, for the worst case model. Radial misalignment should not exceed 7–10mm for the 2/1 NTM and 5–16mm for the 3/2 NTM depending on the model for island growth. As long as the alignment suffices, it does not reduce the maximum allowed latency. Mode locking has serious implications for any real-time NTM control system on ITER that aims to suppress NTMs by ECCD

Evaluating neoclassical tearing mode detection with ECE for control on ITER

Neoclassical tearing mode (NTM) control on ITER requires detection of the mode location to be accurate and with low latency. This paper presents a systematic way to evaluate mode detection algorithms for ITER using numerical simulations of electron cyclotron emission (ECE), taking into account the radial asymmetry in the temperature perturbation by a rotating magnetic island. Simulated ECE is detected using a synthetic radiometer, in the ITER equatorial port plug, and processed by two detection algorithms for the 2/1 and 3/2 NTMs for a burning H-mode ITER plasma. One of the algorithms also incorporates simulated Mirnov data. The video bandwidth is set at 2 kHz. This allows for intermediate frequency bandwidths of BIF = 400 MHz and BIF = 300 MHz for the two algorithms, respectively. The intermediate frequency bandwidth provides a trade-off between radial accuracy (low bandwidth) and low noise/latency (large bandwidth). 2/1 and 3/2 NTMs, seeded with widths up to 9 and 11 cm, are detectable with the required accuracy within 250 ms. With appropriate settings for the radiometer, the NTM detection using ECE is accurate and with low latency. The algorithm that incorporates both ECE and Mirnov data showed the lowest detection latencies

Inline ECE measurements for NTM control on ASDEX upgrade

\u3cp\u3eThe successful use of a tokamak for generating fusion power requires an active control of magnetic instabilities, such as neoclassical tearing modes (NTMs). Commonly, the NTM location is determined using electron cyclotron emission (ECE) and this is used to apply electron cyclotron heating (ECH) on the NTM location. In this paper, an inline ECE set-up at ASDEX Upgrade is presented in which ECE is measured and ECH is applied via the same path. First results are presented and a means to interpret the measurement data is given. Amplitude and phase with respect to a reference magnetic signal are calculated. Based on the amplitude and phase, the time of mode crossing is determined and shown to compare well with real-time estimates of the mode crossing time. The ECH launcher and flux surface geometries at ASDEX Upgrade, which are optimized for current drive by a beam path that is tangential to the flux surface near deposition, make it difficult to identify the mode crossing without inline ECE launcher movement. Therefore, NTM control based on inline ECE requires launcher movement to determine and maintain a reliable estimate of the NTM location.\u3c/p\u3

Combined electron cyclotron emission and heating for the suppression of magnetic islands in fusion plasmas

\u3cp\u3eIn a tokamak, magnetic islands need to be suppressed. Suppression is possible with electron cyclotron heating (ECH), which can be positioned using electron cyclotron emission (ECE) temperature measurements. A set-up to detect ECE in the line of sight of ECH has been built for the TEXTOR tokamak and the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak. In TEXTOR, a dielectric filter was used to separate low power ECE from high power ECH and successful aiming of ECH and suppression of a magnetic island could be demonstrated. At ASDEX Upgrade, a fast directional switch (FADIS) was used to separate ECE from ECH. Measurements of magnetic islands at ASDEX Upgrade are presented. The applicability of these measurements for magnetic island detection is discussed.\u3c/p\u3

Commissioning of inline ECE system within waveguide based ECRH transmission systems on ASDEX upgrade

\u3cp\u3eA CW capable inline electron cyclotron emission (ECE) separation system for feedback control, featuring oversized corrugated waveguides, is commissioned on ASDEX upgrade (AUG). The system is based on a combination of a polarization independent, non-resonant, Mach-Zehnder diplexer equipped with dielectric plate beam splitters [2, 3] employed as corrugated oversized waveguide filter, and a resonant Fast Directional Switch, FADIS [4, 5, 6, 7] as ECE/ECCD separation system. This paper presents an overview of the system, the low power characterisation tests and first high power commissioning on AUG.\u3c/p\u3