DIII-D RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FORUM FOR THE 2013 EXPERIMENTAL CAMPAIGN Review | Direct submission with log-in | Request submission without log-in
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Title	336: Routine current profile control in operation
Name:	Michael Walker walker@fusion.gat.com	Affiliation:	General Atomics
Research Area:	Steady State Heating and Current Drive	Presentation time:	Not requested
Co-Author(s):	Eugenio Schuster, Didier Moreau	ITPA Joint Experiment :	No
Description:	Reduce to practice the previously demonstrated full current profile methods and apply to relevant ongoing physics experiments. Explore and expand the range of plasma scenarios able to use current profile control. Develop the tools and procedures needed to provide current profile control as a routine part of the capabilities supported by the DIII-D PCS.	ITER IO Urgent Research Task :	No
Experimental Approach/Plan:	The work would start by focusing on a single physics experiment that would benefit from being able to control the full current profile either in this experimental campaign or in subsequent campaigns. Given a target plasma scenario, model and controller development would focus on that scenario, first using piggybacks and control simulations and then Thursday evening experiments. Control of the nominal scenario would be first demonstrated in Thursday evening experiments, then using one or two shots during the target physics experiment(s) to explore its range of controllability. If the session leader desires, the profile control could be turned on in other shots during an experimental day.
Background:	Experimental demonstrations of current profile control in 2011-12 showed that controllers can be designed to provide good control of the full plasma current profile to a pre-specified target. These experiments also showed that some of these controllers provide control that is rather robust to variations in plasma parameters and control targets. The current profile work appears to have matured sufficiently that the process of reducing this control to routine experimental use should now be undertaken.
Resource Requirements:	Obtain commitment from a target physics experiment allowing use of a small number of shots, assuming capability to control the target profile of that experiment has been demonstrated in Thursday evening sessions. Occasional piggybacks on similar experiments to collect data for model validation and development of simulations. Two thursday evening sessions. An occasional shot or portion of a shot during the target physics experiment days. All neutral beams and all gyrotrons active.
Diagnostic Requirements:	In realtime: MSE, Thomson, line average density, standard magnetics (processed through realtime MSE efit), beam powers, ECH powers, CER. For offline analysis: ECE, density profile, toroidal rotation profile, ion and electron temperature profiles
Analysis Requirements:	MATLAB software / data stored in mdsplus.
Other Requirements: