OVERVIEW OF RECENT EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS FROM THE DIII-D ADVANCED TOKAMAK PROGRAM
OAK A271 OVERVIEW OF RECENT EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS FROM THE DIII-D ADVANCED TOKAMAK PROGRAM. The DIII-D research program is developing the scientific basis for advanced tokamak (AT) modes of operation in order to enhance the attractiveness of the tokamak as an energy producing system. Since the last International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting, the authors have made significant progress in developing the building blocks needed for AT operation: (1) the authors have doubled the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stable tokamak operating space through rotational stabilization of the resistive wall mode; (2) using this rotational stabilization, they have achieved {beta}{sub N}H{sub 89} {le} 10 for 4 {tau}{sub E} limited by the neoclassical tearing mode; (3) using real-time feedback of the electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) location, they have stabilized the (m,n) = (3,2) neoclassical tearing mode and then increased {beta}{sub T} by 60%; (4) they have produced ECCD stabilization of the (2,1) neoclassical tearing mode in initial experiments; (5) they have made the first integrated AT demonstration discharges with current profile control using ECCD; (6) ECCD and electron cyclotron heating (ECH) have been used to control the pressure profile in high performance plasmas; and (7) they have demonstrated stationary tokamak operation for 6.5 s (36 {tau}{sub E}) at the same fusion gain parameter of {beta}{sub N}H{sub 89}/q{sub 95}{sup 2} {approx} 0.4 as ITER but at much higher q{sub 95} = 4.2. They have developed general improvements applicable to conventional and advanced tokamak operating modes: (1) they have an existence proof of a mode of tokamak operation, quiescent H-mode, which has no pulsed, ELM heat load to the divertor and which can run for long periods of time (3.8 s or 25 {tau}{sub E}) with constant density and constant radiation power; (2) they have demonstrated real-time disruption detection and mitigation for vertical disruption events using high pressure gas jet injection of noble gases; (3) they have found that the heat and particle fluxes to the inner strike points of balanced, double-null divertors are much smaller than to the outer strike points.
- Research Organization:
- General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-99ER54463
- OSTI ID:
- 813670
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: THIS IS A PREPRINT OF A PAPER TO BE PRESENTED AT THE NINETEENTH IAEA FUSION ENERGY CONFERENCE, LYON (FR), 10/14/2002--10/19/2002; Other Information: PBD: 1 Nov 2002
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Overview of recent experimental results from the DIII-D advanced tokamak program.
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