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At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Advances in the FTU collective Thomson scattering system

The new collective Thomson scattering diagnostic installed on the Frascati Tokamak Upgrade device started its first operations in 2014. The ongoing experiments investigate the presence of signals synchronous with rotating tearing mode islands, possibly due to parametric decay processes, and phenomena affecting electron cyclotron beam absorption or scattering measurements. The radiometric system, diagnostic layout, and data acquisition system were improved accordingly. The present status and near-term developments of the diagnostic are presented.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Current-carrying element based on second-generation high-temperature superconductor for the magnet system of a fusion neutron source

Application of current-carrying elements (CCEs) made of second-generation high-temperature superconductor (2G HTS) in magnet systems of a fusion neutron source (FNS) and other fusion devices will allow their magnetic field and thermodynamic stability to be increased substantially in comparison with those of low-temperature superconductor (LTS) magnets. For a toroidal magnet of the FNS, a design of a helical (partially transposed) CCE made of 2G HTS is under development with forced-flow cooling by helium gas, a current of 20–30 kA, an operating temperature of 10–20 K, and a magnetic field on the winding of 12–15 T (prospectively ∼20 T). Short-sized samples of the helical flexible heavy-current CCE are being fabricated and investigated; a pilot-line unit for production of long-sized CCE pieces is under construction. The applied fabrication technique allows the CCE to be produced which combines a high operating current, thermal and mechanical stability, manufacturability, and low losses in the alternating modes. The possibility of fabricating the CCE with the outer dimensions and values of the operating parameter required for the FNS (and with a significant margin) using already available serial 2G HTS tapes is substantiated. The maximum field of toroidal magnets with CCEs made of 2G HTS will be limited only by mechanical properties of the magnet’s casing and structure, while the thermal stability will be approximately two orders of magnitude higher than that of toroidal magnets with LTS-based CCEs. The helical CCE made of 2G HTS is very promising for fusion and hybrid electric power plants, and its design and technologies of production, as well as the prototype coils made of it for the FNS and other tokamaks, are worth developing now.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Suppression of vertical instability in elongated current-carrying plasmas by applying stellarator rotational transform

The passive stability of vertically elongated current-carrying toroidal plasmas has been investigated in the Compact Toroidal Hybrid, a stellarator/tokamak hybrid device. In this experiment, the fractional transform f, defined as the ratio of the imposed external rotational transform from stellarator coils to the total rotational transform, was varied from 0.04 to 0.50, and the elongation κ was varied from 1.4 to 2.2. Plasmas that were vertically unstable were evidenced by motion of the plasma in the vertical direction. Vertical drifts are measured with a set of poloidal field pickup coils. A three chord horizontally viewing interferometer and a soft X-ray diode array confirmed the drifts. Plasmas with low fractional transform and high elongation are the most susceptible to vertical instability, consistent with analytic predictions that the vertical mode in elongated plasmas can be stabilized by the poloidal field of a relatively weak stellarator equilibrium.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Fusion Power measurement at ITER

Nuclear fusion research aims to provide energy for the future in a sustainable way and the ITER project scope is to demonstrate the feasibility of nuclear fusion energy. ITER is a nuclear experimental reactor based on a large scale fusion plasma (tokamak type) device generating Deuterium - Tritium (DT) fusion reactions with emission of 14 MeV neutrons producing up to 700 MW fusion power. The measurement of fusion power, i.e. total neutron emissivity, will play an important role for achieving ITER goals, in particular the fusion gain factor Q related to the reactor performance. Particular attention is given also to the development of the neutron calibration strategy whose main scope is to achieve the required accuracy of 10% for the measurement of fusion power. Neutron Flux Monitors located in diagnostic ports and inside the vacuum vessel will measure ITER total neutron emissivity, expected to range from 1014 n/s in Deuterium - Deuterium (DD) plasmas up to almost 10{sup 21} n/s in DT plasmas. The neutron detection systems as well all other ITER diagnostics have to withstand high nuclear radiation and electromagnetic fields as well ultrahigh vacuum and thermal loads. (authors)

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

Simulation, Design, Construction of Duoplasmatron and Diagnostic Neutral Beam System for Alborz Tokamak

Diagnostic Neutral Beam (DNB) has been used for measuring plasma parameters of tokamaks such as ion and electron temperature, safety factor, impurity concentration and etc. Ion source and electrical power supply specification are the main part of DNB. Arc discharge current value is affected by filament current and anode voltage. Beam current changes with arc current signal in our experiment that agree with theoretical relations. Sixty milli-ampere (60 mA) pulse beam current is because of arc current of about 40 A and extraction voltage of about 20 kV. The increase of beam current with arc current has been reported experimentally and effect of arc current on beam current has been investigated for several high extraction voltages. Optimum condition, which means having a telescopic beam (minimum divergence) for specific parameters of duoplasmatron, has been simulated and verified with experimental test. The best extraction voltage for these parameters has been found to be about 16-kV. The ratio of the perpendicular velocity to parallel velocity has been calculated to be about 0.012. It has been shown experimentally with optical emission spectroscopy that increase in arc current and magnetic current increase proton content of beam.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Tungsten Blister Formation Kinetic as a Function of Fluence, Ion Energy and Grain Orientation Dependence Under Hydrogen Plasma Environment

This work deals with the formation kinetic of tungsten (W) blisters under smooth plasma conditions, i.e. low hydrogen flux and energy in order to analyze the first stages of their formation. In addition, we focus on determining the W grain orientation where blisters grow preferentially. For this purpose, mirror-polished polycrystalline tungsten samples were exposed to hydrogen plasma under fixed hydrogen flux of 2.2 × 10{sup 20} m{sup −2} s{sup −1}, with a fluence in the range of ~ 10{sup 24} m{sup −2}, ion energy of ~ 20, 120 and 220 eV, and sample surface temperature of ~ 500 K. The formation of blisters at the surface was investigated using SEM, AFM and EBSD to determine the size, the distribution and the orientation of grain where blisters are formed, respectively. The critical fluence for initiating blisters was established around 2.3 × 10{sup 24} m{sup −2}. The evolution of blister size distribution and density is discussed as function of fluence and ion energy. At lower ion energy, i.e. 20 eV, only nanoblisters (less than 150 nm) are observed whatever the fluence value (1.5 and 2.3 × 10{sup 24} m{sup −2}). At higher ion energy i.e. 120 and 220 eV, micrometric (~ few to tens of µm) blisters are observed and their density highly depends on fluence. We show that blisters can also be formed on (001) oriented grains contrarily to previous results from the literature where the (111) orientation seemed more favorable. Such information is of importance for tungsten based fusion tokamak operation and design.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Metropolis–Hastings Monte Carlo Method for Neutron Emissivity Tomographic Inversion in Tokamak Plasma

The article presents a new approach to plasma neutron emissivity reconstruction based on the Metropolis–Hastings Monte Carlo algorithm. The algorithm is based on a biased random walk. A dedicated computer code generates pseudo-random samples within the domain that contains the solution. The properly chosen objective function ensures convergence to the desired solution. The method allows to overcome the problem of trapping in local minima by accepting, with some finite probability, changes in the direction opposite to that indicated by the objective function. The developed method was tested using a synthetic data set. The results show that the method provides reliable reconstructions and thus can be used as an alternative or complementary method to the commonly applied ones. The method capabilities were also tested against noise present in the line-integrated projections.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Real-time gas cooling of flowing liquid lithium limiter for the EAST

A novel continuously flowing liquid lithium limiter (FLiLi) which employs an in-vessel electro-magnetic pump to drive liquid Li flowing on the surface of limiter has been successfully designed and tested in the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST) device in 2014. In order to better control the surface temperature, an upgraded design and the real-time gas cooling were performed in 2016. Two kinds of cooling gas, helium (He) and argon (Ar) were tested on the FLiLi system prior to the experiment. It was found that the cooling rates of He and Ar at 2.5 MPa are 34.2 °C/min, 10.2 °C/min or 31.7 °C/kL and 28.1 °C/kL, respectively. The cooling performance of He is more effective than Ar. Experimental results show that the real-time He cooling could effectively contain the FLiLi surface temperature increase and prevent the strong passive evaporation of lithium during plasma discharges. Limiter heat flux up to 0.2 MW/m2 was removed during ohmic discharge with 2.5 MPa He gas. Finally, Because of the upgraded design and real-time gas cooling, the surface of FLiLi was not damaged by heat flux after entire plasma discharge.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

A penalization technique to model plasma facing components in a tokamak with temperature variations

To properly address turbulent transport in the edge plasma region of a tokamak, it is mandatory to describe the particle and heat outflow on wall components, using an accurate representation of the wall geometry. This is challenging for many plasma transport codes, which use a structured mesh with one coordinate aligned with magnetic surfaces. We propose here a penalization technique that allows modeling of particle and heat transport using such structured mesh, while also accounting for geometrically complex plasma-facing components. Solid obstacles are considered as particle and momentum sinks whereas ionic and electronic temperature gradients are imposed on both sides of the obstacles along the magnetic field direction using delta functions (Dirac). Solutions exhibit plasma velocities (M=1) and temperatures fluxes at the plasma–wall boundaries that match with boundary conditions usually implemented in fluid codes. Grid convergence and error estimates are found to be in agreement with theoretical results obtained for neutral fluid conservation equations. The capability of the penalization technique is illustrated by introducing the non-collisional plasma region expected by the kinetic theory in the immediate vicinity of the interface, that is impossible when considering fluid boundary conditions. Axisymmetric numerical simulations show the efficiency of the method to investigate the large-scale transport at the plasma edge including the separatrix and in realistic complex geometries while keeping a simple structured grid.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Discontinuous Galerkin methods for plasma physics in the scrape-off layer of tokamaks

A new parallel discontinuous Galerkin solver, called ArcOn, is developed to describe the intermittent turbulent transport of filamentary blobs in the scrape-off layer (SOL) of fusion plasma. The model is comprised of an elliptic subsystem coupled to two convection-dominated reaction–diffusion–convection equations. Upwinding is used for a class of numerical fluxes developed to accommodate cross product driven convection, and the elliptic solver uses SIPG, NIPG, IIPG, Brezzi, and Bassi–Rebay fluxes to formulate the stiffness matrix. A novel entropy sensor is developed for this system, designed for a space–time varying artificial diffusion/viscosity regularization algorithm. Some numerical experiments are performed to show convergence order on manufactured solutions, regularization of blob/streamer dynamics in the SOL given unstable parameterizations, long-time stability of modon (or dipole drift vortex) solutions arising in simulations of drift-wave turbulence, and finally the formation of edge mode turbulence in the scrape-off layer under turbulent saturation conditions.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

The GBS code for tokamak scrape-off layer simulations

We describe a new version of GBS, a 3D global, flux-driven plasma turbulence code to simulate the turbulent dynamics in the tokamak scrape-off layer (SOL), superseding the code presented by Ricci et al. (2012) [14]. The present work is driven by the objective of studying SOL turbulent dynamics in medium size tokamaks and beyond with a high-fidelity physics model. We emphasize an intertwining framework of improved physics models and the computational improvements that allow them. The model extensions include neutral atom physics, finite ion temperature, the addition of a closed field line region, and a non-Boussinesq treatment of the polarization drift. GBS has been completely refactored with the introduction of a 3-D Cartesian communicator and a scalable parallel multigrid solver. We report dramatically enhanced parallel scalability, with the possibility of treating electromagnetic fluctuations very efficiently. The method of manufactured solutions as a verification process has been carried out for this new code version, demonstrating the correct implementation of the physical model.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

A new hybrid-Lagrangian numerical scheme for gyrokinetic simulation of tokamak edge plasma

In order to enable kinetic simulation of non-thermal edge plasmas at a reduced computational cost, a new hybrid-Lagrangian δf scheme has been developed that utilizes the phase space grid in addition to the usual marker particles, taking advantage of the computational strengths from both sides. The new scheme splits the particle distribution function of a kinetic equation into two parts. Marker particles contain the fast space-time varying, δf, part of the distribution function and the coarse-grained phase-space grid contains the slow space-time varying part. The coarse-grained phase-space grid reduces the memory-requirement and the computing cost, while the marker particles provide scalable computing ability for the fine-grained physics. Weights of the marker particles are determined by a direct weight evolution equation instead of the differential form weight evolution equations that the conventional delta-f schemes use. The particle weight can be slowly transferred to the phase space grid, thereby reducing the growth of the particle weights. The non-Lagrangian part of the kinetic equation – e.g., collision operation, ionization, charge exchange, heat-source, radiative cooling, and others – can be operated directly on the phase space grid. Deviation of the particle distribution function on the velocity grid from a Maxwellian distribution function – driven by ionization, charge exchange and wall loss – is allowed to be arbitrarily large. The numerical scheme is implemented in the gyrokinetic particle code XGC1, which specializes in simulating the tokamak edge plasma that crosses the magnetic separatrix and is in contact with the material wall.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Implementation of the full viscoresistive magnetohydrodynamic equations in a nonlinear finite element code

Numerical simulations form an indispensable tool to understand the behavior of a hot plasma that is created inside a tokamak for providing nuclear fusion energy. Various aspects of tokamak plasmas have been successfully studied through the reduced magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model. The need for more complete modeling through the full MHD equations is addressed here. Our computational method is presented along with measures against possible problems regarding pollution, stability, and regularity. The problem of ensuring continuity of solutions in the center of a polar grid is addressed in the context of a finite element discretization of the full MHD equations. A rigorous and generally applicable solution is proposed here. Useful analytical test cases are devised to verify the correct implementation of the momentum and induction equation, the hyperdiffusive terms, and the accuracy with which highly anisotropic diffusion can be simulated. A striking observation is that highly anisotropic diffusion can be treated with the same order of accuracy as isotropic diffusion, even on non-aligned grids, as long as these grids are generated with sufficient care. This property is shown to be associated with our use of a magnetic vector potential to describe the magnetic field. Several well-known instabilities are simulated to demonstrate the capabilities of the new method. The linear growth rate of an internal kink mode and a tearing mode are benchmarked against the results of a linear MHD code. The evolution of a tearing mode and the resulting magnetic islands are simulated well into the nonlinear regime. The results are compared with predictions from the reduced MHD model. Finally, a simulation of a ballooning mode illustrates the possibility to use our method as an ideal MHD method without the need to add any physical dissipation.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Fourier-spectral element approximation of the ion–electron Braginskii system with application to tokamak edge plasma in divertor configuration

Due to the extreme conditions required to produce energy by nuclear fusion in tokamaks, simulating the plasma behavior is an important but challenging task. We focus on the edge part of the plasma, where fluid approaches are probably the best suited, and our approach relies on the Braginskii ion–electron model. Assuming that the electric field is electrostatic, this yields a set of 10 strongly coupled and non-linear conservation equations that exhibit multiscale and anisotropy features. The computational domain is a torus of complex geometrical section, that corresponds to the divertor configuration, i.e. with an “X-point” in the magnetic surfaces. To capture the complex physics that is involved, high order methods are used: The time-discretization is based on a Strang splitting, that combines implicit and explicit high order Runge–Kutta schemes, and the space discretization makes use of the spectral element method in the poloidal plane together with Fourier expansions in the toroidal direction. The paper thoroughly describes the algorithms that have been developed, provides some numerical validations of the key algorithms and exhibits the results of preliminary numerical experiments. In particular, we point out that the highest frequency of the system is intermediate between the ion and electron cyclotron frequencies.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2017

A practical globalization of one-shot optimization for optimal design of tokamak divertors

In past studies, nested optimization methods were successfully applied to design of the magnetic divertor configuration in nuclear fusion reactors. In this paper, so-called one-shot optimization methods are pursued. Due to convergence issues, a globalization strategy for the one-shot solver is sought. Whereas Griewank introduced a globalization strategy using a doubly augmented Lagrangian function that includes primal and adjoint residuals, its practical usability is limited by the necessity of second order derivatives and expensive line search iterations. In this paper, a practical alternative is offered that avoids these drawbacks by using a regular augmented Lagrangian merit function that penalizes only state residuals. Additionally, robust rank-two Hessian estimation is achieved by adaptation of Powell's damped BFGS update rule. The application of the novel one-shot approach to magnetic divertor design is considered in detail. For this purpose, the approach is adapted to be complementary with practical in parts adjoint sensitivities. Using the globalization strategy, stable convergence of the one-shot approach is achieved.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

FEM-BEM coupling methods for Tokamak plasma axisymmetric free-boundary equilibrium computations in unbounded domains

Incorporating boundary conditions at infinity into simulations on bounded computational domains is a repeatedly occurring problem in scientific computing. The combination of finite element methods (FEM) and boundary element methods (BEM) is the obvious instrument, and we adapt here for the first time the two standard FEM-BEM coupling approaches to the free-boundary equilibrium problem: the Johnson–Nédélec coupling and the Bielak–MacCamy coupling. We recall also the classical approach for fusion applications, dubbed according to its first appearance von-Hagenow–Lackner coupling and present the less used alternative introduced by Albanese, Blum and de Barbieri in . We show that the von-Hagenow–Lackner coupling suffers from undesirable non-optimal convergence properties, that suggest that other coupling schemes, in particular Johnson–Nédélec or Albanese–Blum–de Barbieri are more appropriate for non-linear equilibrium problems. Moreover, we show that any of such coupling methods requires Newton-like iteration schemes for solving the corresponding non-linear discrete algebraic systems.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2012

Comment on 'Continuum modes in rotating plasmas: General equations and continuous spectra for large aspect ratio tokamaks'[Phys. Plasmas 18, 092103 (2011)]

It is shown that some of the main results of the recent paper by Lakhin and Ilgisonis [Phys. Plasmas 18, 092103 (2011)], viz. the derivation of the equations for the continuous spectra of poloidally and toroidally rotating plasmas and their special solution for large aspect ratio tokamaks with large parallel flows were obtained before by Goedbloed, Belieen, van der Holst, and Keppens [Phys. Plasmas 11, 28 (2004)]. A further rearrangement of the system of equations for the coupled Alfven and slow continuous spectra clearly exhibits: (a) coupling through a single tangential derivative, which is a generalization of the geodesic curvature; (b) the 'transonic' transitions of the equilibrium, which need to be carefully examined in order to avoid entering hyperbolic flow regimes where the stability formalism breaks down. A critical discussion is devoted to the implications of this failure, which is generally missed in the tokamak literature, possibly as a result of the wide-spread use of the sonic Mach number of gas dynamics, which is an irrelevant and misleading parameter in 'transonic' magnetohydrodynamics. Once this obstacle in understanding is removed, further application of the theory of trans-slow Alfven continuum instabilities to both tokamaks, with possible implications for the L-H transition, and astrophysical objects like 'fat' accretion disks, with a possible new route to magnetohydrodynamic turbulence, becomes feasible.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Response to 'Comment on 'Continuum modes in rotating plasmas: General equations and continuous spectra for large aspect ratio tokamaks' '[Phys. Plasmas 19, 064701 (2012)]

The equations for the continuous spectra derived in our paper [V. P. Lakhin and V. I. Ilgisonis, Phys. Plasmas 18, 092103 (2011)] can be reduced to the matrix form used by Goedbloed et al.[Phys. Plasmas 11, 28 (2004)]. It is shown that the assumptions made in our paper provide the elliptic flow regime and guarantee the existence of plasma equilibrium with nested magnetic surfaces of circular cross-section. The new results on magnetohydrodynamic instabilities of such tokamak equilibria obtained in our paper but absent in the paper by Goedbloed et al. are emphasized.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗