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Title: Performance of Wendelstein 7-X stellarator plasmas during the first divertor operation phase

Journal Article · · Physics of Plasmas
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5098761· OSTI ID:1565869
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  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Wendelsteinstrasse 1, 17491 Greifswald, Germany
  2. Laboratorio Nacional de Fusión, CIEMAT, Avenida Complutense, 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
  3. Research Center Jülich, Institute for Energy and Climate Research Plasma Physics, Wilhelm-Johnen-Strasse, 52428 Jülich, Germany
  4. University of Wisconsin Madison, Engineering Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
  5. Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Boltzmannstrasse 2, 85748 Garching, Germany
  6. National Institute for Fusion Science, 322-6 Oroshicho, Toki, Gifu Prefecture 509-5202, Japan
  7. Laboratory for Plasma Physics, LPP-ERM/KMS, Avenue de la Renaissance 30, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
  8. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, 100 Stellarator Rd., Princeton, New Jersey 08540, USA
  9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
  10. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544, USA

Wendelstein 7-X is the first comprehensively optimized stellarator aiming at good confinement with plasma parameters relevant to a future stellarator power plant. Plasma operation started in 2015 using a limiter configuration. After installing an uncooled magnetic island divertor, extending the energy limit from 4 to 80 MJ, operation continued in 2017. For this phase, the electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) capability was extended to 7 MW, and hydrogen pellet injection was implemented. The enhancements resulted in the highest triple product (6.5 × 1019 keV m₋3 s) achieved in a stellarator until now. Plasma conditions [Te(0) ≈ Ti(0) ≈ 3.8 keV, τE > 200 ms] already were in the stellarator reactor-relevant ion-root plasma transport regime. Stable operation above the 2nd harmonic ECRH X-mode cutoff was demonstrated, which is instrumental for achieving high plasma densities in Wendelstein 7-X. Further important developments include the confirmation of low intrinsic error fields, the observation of current-drive induced instabilities, and first fast ion heating and confinement experiments. The efficacy of the magnetic island divertor was instrumental in achieving high performance in Wendelstein 7-X. Symmetrization of the heat loads between the ten divertor modules could be achieved by external resonant magnetic fields. Full divertor power detachment facilitated the extension of high power plasmas significantly beyond the energy limit of 80 MJ.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC). Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) (SC-24)
Contributing Organization:
the Wendelstein 7-X Team
Grant/Contract Number:
89233218CNA000001
OSTI ID:
1565869
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-19-23413; TRN: US2000921
Journal Information:
Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 26, Issue 8; Conference: 60. Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Plasma Physics, Portland, OR (United States), 5-9 Nov 2018; ISSN 1070-664X
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 57 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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  • Erckmann, V.; Braune, H.; Gantenbein, G.
  • REVIEW OF PROGRESS IN QUANTITATIVE NONDESTRUCTIVE EVALUATION: Proceedings of the 35th Annual Review of Progress in Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation, AIP Conference Proceedings https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4864608
conference January 2014
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Cited By (4)

Coherence imaging spectroscopy at Wendelstein 7-X for impurity flow measurements journal January 2020
Soft x-ray tomography measurements in the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator journal January 2020
Suppression of electrostatic micro-instabilities in maximum- J stellarators journal January 2020
27th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference: summary of sessions EX/C, EX/S and PPC journal January 2020

Figures / Tables (15)


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