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Title: Integration of full divertor detachment with improved core confinement for tokamak fusion plasmas

Abstract

Divertor detachment offers a promising solution to the challenge of plasma-wall interactions for steady-state operation of fusion reactors. Here, we demonstrate the excellent compatibility of actively controlled full divertor detachment with a high-performance (βN ~ 3, H98 ~ 1.5) core plasma, using high-βp (poloidal beta, βp > 2) scenario characterized by a sustained core internal transport barrier (ITB) and a modest edge transport barrier (ETB) in DIII-D tokamak. The high-βp high-confinement scenario facilitates divertor detachment which, in turn, promotes the development of an even stronger ITB at large radius with a weaker ETB. This self-organized synergy between ITB and ETB, leads to a net gain in energy confinement, in contrast to the net confinement loss caused by divertor detachment in standard H-modes. These results show the potential of integrating excellent core plasma performance with an efficient divertor solution, an essential step towards steady-state operation of reactor-grade plasmas.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [2];  [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [2]; ORCiD logo [2];  [2];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [4];  [4];  [5]; ORCiD logo [6]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1];  [2] more »;  [2]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1] « less
  1. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Hefei (China)
  2. General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)
  3. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Hefei (China); Oak Ridge Associated Univ., Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  4. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
  5. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
  6. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States); Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); National Magnetic Confinement Fusion Science Program of China
OSTI Identifier:
1768382
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1845144; OSTI ID: 1871402
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-834527
Journal ID: ISSN 2041-1723; TRN: US2206592
Grant/Contract Number:  
FC02-04ER54698; AC04-94AL85000; NA0003525; AC52-07NA27344; SC0010685; 2017YFE0301300; 2017YFE0300404
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Nature Communications
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 12; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing Group
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; Magnetically confined plasmas; Nuclear fusion and fission; Techniques and instrumentation

Citation Formats

Wang, L., Wang, H. Q., Ding, S., Garofalo, A. M., Gong, X. Z., Eldon, D., Guo, H. Y., Leonard, A. W., Hyatt, A. W., Qian, J. P., Weisberg, D. B., McClenaghan, J., Fenstermacher, M. E., Lasnier, C. J., Watkins, J. G., Shafer, M. W., Xu, G. S., Huang, J., Ren, Q. L., Buttery, R. J., Humphreys, D. A., Thomas, D. M., Zhang, B., and Liu, J. B. Integration of full divertor detachment with improved core confinement for tokamak fusion plasmas. United States: N. p., 2021. Web. doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21645-y.
Wang, L., Wang, H. Q., Ding, S., Garofalo, A. M., Gong, X. Z., Eldon, D., Guo, H. Y., Leonard, A. W., Hyatt, A. W., Qian, J. P., Weisberg, D. B., McClenaghan, J., Fenstermacher, M. E., Lasnier, C. J., Watkins, J. G., Shafer, M. W., Xu, G. S., Huang, J., Ren, Q. L., Buttery, R. J., Humphreys, D. A., Thomas, D. M., Zhang, B., & Liu, J. B. Integration of full divertor detachment with improved core confinement for tokamak fusion plasmas. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21645-y
Wang, L., Wang, H. Q., Ding, S., Garofalo, A. M., Gong, X. Z., Eldon, D., Guo, H. Y., Leonard, A. W., Hyatt, A. W., Qian, J. P., Weisberg, D. B., McClenaghan, J., Fenstermacher, M. E., Lasnier, C. J., Watkins, J. G., Shafer, M. W., Xu, G. S., Huang, J., Ren, Q. L., Buttery, R. J., Humphreys, D. A., Thomas, D. M., Zhang, B., and Liu, J. B. 2021. "Integration of full divertor detachment with improved core confinement for tokamak fusion plasmas". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21645-y. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1768382.
@article{osti_1768382,
title = {Integration of full divertor detachment with improved core confinement for tokamak fusion plasmas},
author = {Wang, L. and Wang, H. Q. and Ding, S. and Garofalo, A. M. and Gong, X. Z. and Eldon, D. and Guo, H. Y. and Leonard, A. W. and Hyatt, A. W. and Qian, J. P. and Weisberg, D. B. and McClenaghan, J. and Fenstermacher, M. E. and Lasnier, C. J. and Watkins, J. G. and Shafer, M. W. and Xu, G. S. and Huang, J. and Ren, Q. L. and Buttery, R. J. and Humphreys, D. A. and Thomas, D. M. and Zhang, B. and Liu, J. B.},
abstractNote = {Divertor detachment offers a promising solution to the challenge of plasma-wall interactions for steady-state operation of fusion reactors. Here, we demonstrate the excellent compatibility of actively controlled full divertor detachment with a high-performance (βN ~ 3, H98 ~ 1.5) core plasma, using high-βp (poloidal beta, βp > 2) scenario characterized by a sustained core internal transport barrier (ITB) and a modest edge transport barrier (ETB) in DIII-D tokamak. The high-βp high-confinement scenario facilitates divertor detachment which, in turn, promotes the development of an even stronger ITB at large radius with a weaker ETB. This self-organized synergy between ITB and ETB, leads to a net gain in energy confinement, in contrast to the net confinement loss caused by divertor detachment in standard H-modes. These results show the potential of integrating excellent core plasma performance with an efficient divertor solution, an essential step towards steady-state operation of reactor-grade plasmas.},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-021-21645-y},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1768382}, journal = {Nature Communications},
issn = {2041-1723},
number = 1,
volume = 12,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2021},
month = {Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2021}
}

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Works referencing / citing this record:

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Hysteresis as a probe of turbulent bifurcation in intrinsic rotation reversals on Alcator C-Mod
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Impact of centrifugal drifts on ion turbulent transport
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H-mode grade confinement in L-mode edge plasmas at negative triangularity on DIII-D
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Key effects on the confinement improvement of the ASDEX Upgrade hybrid scenario
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Verification of GENE and GYRO with L-mode and I-mode plasmas in Alcator C-Mod
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Transport barriers in bootstrap-driven tokamaks
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Reversal of turbulent gyroBohm isotope scaling due to nonadiabatic electron drive
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Improved linearized model collision operator for the highly collisional regime
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Safety factor and turbulence dynamics dependence of the L-H power threshold on DIII-D
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Gyrokinetic GENE simulations of DIII-D near-edge L-mode plasmas
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Cross-verification of neoclassical transport solutions from XGCa against NEO
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