Resistive wall mode active control physics design for KSTAR
- Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York 10027 (United States)
- National Fusion Research Institute, Daejeon 305-806 (Korea, Republic of)
As KSTAR H-mode operation approaches the region where the resistive wall mode (RWM) can be unstable, an important issue for future long pulse, high beta plasma operation is to evaluate RWM active feedback control performance using a planned active/passive RWM stabilization system on the device. In particular, an optimal design of feedback sensors allows mode stabilization up to the highest achievable β{sub N} close to the ideal with-wall limit, β{sub N}{sup wall}, with reduced control power requirements. The computed ideal n = 1 mode structure from the DCON code has been input to the VALEN-3D code to calculate the projected performance of an active RWM control system in the KSTAR three-dimensional conducting structure device geometry. Control performance with the midplane locked mode detection sensors, off-midplane saddle loops, and magnetic pickup coils is examined. The midplane sensors measuring the radial component of the mode perturbation is found to be strongly affected by the wall eddy current. The off-axis saddle loops with proper compensation of the prompt applied field are computed to provide stabilization at β{sub N} up to 86% of β{sub N}{sup wall} but the low RWM amplitude computed in the off-axis regions near the sensors can produce a low signal-to-noise ratio. The required control power and bandwidth are also estimated with varied noise levels in the feedback sensors. Further improvements have been explored by examining a new RWM sensor design motivated by the off-midplane poloidal magnetic field sensors in NSTX. The new sensors mounted off of the copper passive stabilizer plates near the device midplane show a clear advantage in control performance corresponding to achieving 99% of β{sub N}{sup wall} without the need of compensation of the prompt field. The result shows a significant improvement of RWM feedback stabilization using the new sensor set which motivates a future feedback sensor upgrade.
- OSTI ID:
- 22252141
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 21, Issue 1; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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