Speaker
Mr
Punit Gohil
(USA)
Description
This paper contains a comprehensive multi-machine assessment on accessing and maintaining H-mode plasmas in ITER. The results from these joint experiments address L-H transition power threshold issues, which are not adequately included in the scaling from the ITPA H-mode power threshold database. Consequently, these results affect the ability to make accurate predictions for the H-mode threshold in ITER using the presently available H-mode scaling relationships and can be used to improve and reduce the uncertainty in these predictions. For the non-nuclear operational phase in ITER with H and/or He plasmas, experiments have been performed in ASDEX Upgrade (AUG),
C-Mod, DIII-D, JET, NSTX, and MAST. The ratio of P_TH(H)/P_TH(D) appears to be relatively consistent at about a value of 2. However, for helium there is a large variation in P_TH(He)/P_TH(D) from 1.0-2.0. On detailed examination of the results from the many devices, the ratio of P_TH(He)/P_TH(D) decreases towards unity with increasing L-mode (or target) electron density, which is a favorable trend for ITER operational scenarios at relatively higher target densities. The application of resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) fields can lead to significant increases in the H-mode power threshold as has been determined in AUG, DIII-D, MAST and NSTX. Multi-machine results will also be presented on the H-mode confinement in He and also on modeling of ITER scenarios, based on the above results, and the predictions and implications for accessing H-mode plasmas in ITER.
This work was supported in part by the US Department of Energy under DE-FC02-04ER54698, DE-AC52-07NA27344, DE-FC02-99ER54512, and DE-AC02-09CH11466.
Country or International Organization of Primary Author
USA
Collaboration (if applicable, e.g., International Tokamak Physics Activities)
International Tokamak Physics Activities
Primary author
Mr
Punit Gohil
(USA)
Co-authors
Mr
Andrew Kirk
(Culham Science Centre for Fusion Energy)
Darren C. McDonald
(Culham Science Centre for Fuson Energy)
Mr
Devon J. Battaglia
(Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory)
Ms
Elena de la Luna
(JET-EFDA-CSU Culham Science Center)
Dr
Francois Ryter
(Max-Planck-Innstitut fur Plasmaphysik)
Mr
Hendrik Meyer
(Culham Science Centre for Fusion Energy)
Mr
Jerry W. Hughes
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Dr
Max E. Fenstermacher
(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)
Dr
Rajesh Maingi
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory)
Dr
Stanley M. Kaye
(Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory)
Yunxing Ma
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Yves Martin
(Centre de Recherches en Physique des Plasmas)