Impact of Toroidal Effect on Lower Hybrid Current Drive in Tokamak

The main topics concerning lower hybrid wave heating （LHH） and lower hybrid current drive （LHCD） in tokamak systems are presented. The inherent properties of tokamak systems give the ‘gap＇ filling on Brambilla＇s spectrum, which are conducive to LHCD, but, on the other hand, induce a consumption of wave energy by the trapped electrons, which reduce the current drive efficiency. The methods for the enhancement of the current drive efficiency may be derived from detailed analyses by drawing upon the ray tracing technology on toroidal geometry and the Fokker-Planck theory on velocity space.

Experimental Research on Lower Hybrid Current Drive in Superconducting Tokamak HT-7

?Fundamental experiments on lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) have been undertaken on HT-7 superconducting tokamak. The experiments on LHCD efficiency reveal its depen- deuce on plasma density and the toroidal magnetic field. Furthermore, the experiments on HT-7 successfully demonstrate the ability for LHCD to sustain long pulse tokamak discharges, such as discharges with full non-inductive current drive for several seconds. The experimental study to improve plasma confinements by LHCD suggests that the improvement should be due to the change o f current profile. It has also been demonstrated by the experiments that the lower hybrid wave may lead to an enhanced ionization of particles in the region where the wave is deposited.

A Study of Energy Conversion Efficiency Versus Plasma Density by Lower Hybrid Current Drive in HT-7 Tokamak

Ramp-up experiments by means of lower hybrid wave on HT-7 superconducting tokamak have been performed and analyzed. A ramp-up rate of over 300 kA/s is obtained and a conversion efficiency of over 1.0% has been achieved during the ramp-up phase. The study of the dependence of conversion efficiency on plasma density shows that the conversion efficiency is affected by the driven current, which is mainly dominated by the competition of impurity concentration with wave accessibility condition. In addition, the effect of current profile may play an important role in determining the conversion efficiency.

Analysis of Charge-Exchange Spectrum during Lower Hybrid Current Drive on HT-7 Tokamak

A perpendicular neutral particle analyzer (NPA) is used on HT-7 tokamak experiment to provide the measurements of neutral particle flux and ion temperature. The measured results were compared with calculated data by Monte-carlo method for ohmic heating. In lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) experiments, the ion heating of LHCD was identified. The chargeexchange neutral particle flux enhanced was observed. The energy spectrum clearly showed a high-energy ions tail. The bulk ion temperature increased by 0.4-0.5 keV after the onset of LHCD. Efficient ion heating of 1 eV. kW-1 was obtained.

Effect of Wave Accessibility on Lower Hybrid Wave Current Drive in Experimental Advanced Superconductor Tokamak with H-Mode Operation

The effect of the wave accessibility condition on the lower hybrid cm＇rent drive in the experimental advanced superconductor Tokamak （EAST） plasma with H-mode operation is studied. Based on a simplified model, a mode conversion layer of the lower hybrid wave between the fast wave branch and the slow wave branch is proved to exist in the plasma periphery for typical EAST H-mode parameters. Under the framework of the lower hybrid wave simulation code （LSC）, the wave ray trajectory and the associated current drive are calculated numerically. The results show that the wave accessibility condition plays an important role on the lower hybrid current drive in EAST plasma. For wave rays with parallel refractive index n｜｜= 2.1 or n｜｜ = 2.5 launched from the outside midplane, the wave rays may penetrate the core plasma due to the toroida] geometry effect, while numerous reflections of the wave ray trajectories in the plasma periphery occur. However, low current drive efficiency is obtained. Meanwhile, the wave accessibility condition is improved if a higher confined magnetic field is applied. The simulation results show that for plasma parameters under present EAST H-mode operation, a significant lower hybrid wave current drive could be obtained for the wave spectrum with peak value n｜｜ = 2.1 if a toroidal magnetic field BT =2.5 T is applied.

A Simulation of the Effect of Collisional Dissipation of Fast Electrons on the Radial Profiles of the Current Driven by Lower-Hybrid-Waves on the HT-7 Tokamak

For the effect of the collisional dissipation of fast electrons driven by the lower-hybrid waves, a predictive simulation is made for the HT-7 plasma. The simulation results show that the dissipation of fast electrons counteracts the effect of radial diffusion to some extent, thereby making the lower-hybrid driven current profile closer to the power deposition profile. So, in the case of an off-axis lower-hybrid wave power launching, the dissipation is helpful in maintaining a center-hollowed current profile in lower hybrid current drive （LHCD） plasmas, and thus possibly maintains the desired reversed magnetic shear.

Effects of trapped electrons on off-axis lower hybrid current drive in tokamaks

The effects of trapped electrons on off-axis lower hybrid current drive （LHCD） in tokamaks are studied, A computer code for solving the Fokker-Planck equation in a toroidal geometry is developed and employed. The code is suitable for various auxiliary heating and current drive schemes in tokamak plasmas. The influence of the resonance regime on the current drive efficiency as well as the influence of trapped particle fraction on the current drive efficiency are emphasized. It is shown that, as an electrostatic force, the lower hybrid wave causes some of the trapped electrons to be untrapped and lose their energy, which can cut the LHCD efficiency by about 30%. The ITER scaling law is also used to estimate the trapped electron effects.

Optimized calculation of the synergy conditions between electron cyclotron current drive and lower hybrid current drive on EAST

The optimized synergy conditions between electron cyclotron current drive （ECCD） and lower hybrid current drive （LHCD） with normal parameters of the EAST tokamak are studied by using the C3PO/LUKE code based on the under- standing of the synergy mechanisms so as to obtain a higher synergistic current and provide theoretical reference for the synergistic effect in the EAST experiment. The dependences of the synergistic effect on the parameters of two waves （lower hybrid wave （LHW） and electron cyclotron wave （ECW））, including the radial position of the power deposition, the power value of the LH and EC waves, and the parallel refractive indices of the LHW （Nr） are oresented and discussed.

Simulation of Lower Hybrid Current Drive for DEMO

Lower hybrid (LH) wave is not only convenient to generate a flat or reversed magnetic shear profiles, but also helps one to explore scenarios for steady-state tokamak operation with improved confinement. Here with LSC code (lower hybrid simulation code), we calculate density and temperature profiles, relative power of injected wave and current wave lunch for two options of DEMO at the launched LH wave frequency 5 GHz. Two plasma scenarios pertaining to two different DEMO options, known as pulsed (option 1) and steady-state (option 2) models, have been analyzed. We perceive that power deposition by using lower hybrid wave injection mainly takes place near the edge of plasma and approximately in more peripheral region for both of options but has approximately higher efficiency for option 1 compared to option 2. About current wave lunch, a major part of that is close to the plasma edge for both of options. We have some considerable parts that reach to internal layers for option 1 and then current drive mainly takes place in a wider, more peripheral region for option 1.

Improvement of plasma confinement with lower hybrid current drive on HT-6B tokamak

Using lower hybrid current drive (LHCD), improved confinement has been achieved on HT-6B tokamak. The particle confinement time was increased by 2- 6 times and the plasma-stored energy was doubled. Only obtainable in an electron density window of 0.3×1013- 1.5× 1013cm-3, the improvement was accompanied by suppression of the fast fluctuations and increment of the gradient of edge electron temperature with very low power threshold. An analysis shows that the improvement might be possibly caused by certain energetic electrons produced by LHCD.

LHCD Properties with a New Lower Hybrid Wave Antenna on HT-7 Tokamak

The structure and the characteristic power spectrum of a new lower hybrid wave antenna on the HT-7 tokamak are briefly described in this paper. The main experimental properties with the new antenna have been demonstrated by showing the dependence of current drive efficiency and particle confinement time on phase difference between adjacent waveguides of the antenna. A few preliminary analyses about the experimental results are also discussed in the paper.

Experimental Results of MHD Suppression with Modulated LHCD on the HT-7 Tokamak

Modulation of lower hybrid current drive was used successfully to suppress MHD activity. This was achieved in discharges with MHD m = 2 tearing modes during the discharge conditions Ip = 110 kA, Bt = 1.75 T, ne0 - 1.1 × 1013 cm-3. The delivering time of LHCD pulse is less then 30 μs. The amplitude, interval and the period of LHCD modulation pulse can be adjusted very conveniently. The modulation LHCD can be delivered very fast at any time during the discharge. The modulation LHCD period was always much shorter than the plasma resistive time (Tη ≈100 ms). So the profile of plasma current is changed much faster than the plasma resistive time. The different forms of LHCD modulating can be proved.

Modification of Boundary Parameters and Fluctuations by IBW and LHCD in the HT-7 Tokamak

Measurements of boundary parameters and their fluctuations have been performed in ohmic (OH) plasma and Ion Bernstein Wave (IBW) and Lower Hybrid Current Drive (LHCD) enhanced confinement plasma using a pneumatically driven Langmuir probe array on HT-7 toka-mak. In the enhanced confinement plasma, the gradients of electron density and temperature become higher and a transport barrier comes into being in the vicinity of the limiter. The boundary potential shows a clear modification in the same region. The fluctuation levels are significantly depressed and the coherences between fluctuations are reduced evidently in the enhanced plasma. Meanwhile, we obtained the spectral features and the poloidal phase velocity of fluctuations using a two-point correlation technique and found obvious modifications of the turbulence and the poloidal flow. The results suggest that the improved confinement in the IBW and LHCD enhanced plasma is at least partially due to the modification of the boundary parameters and the suppression of the boundary fluctuations and fluctuation induced fluxes.

Experiment and Operation of a LHCD-35kV/2.8MW/1000s High-Voltage Power Supply on HT-7 Tokamak

A -35 kV/2.8 MW/1000s high-voltage power supply (HVPS) for HT-7 superconducting tokamak has been built successfully. The HVPS is scheduled to run on a 2.45 GHz/1 MW lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) [1] system of HT-7 superconducting tokamak before the set-up of HT-7 superconducting tokamak in 2003. The HVPS has a series of advantages such as good steady and dynamic response, logical computer program controlling the HVPS without any fault, operational panel and experimental board for data acquisition, which both are grounded distinctively in a normative way to protect the main body of HVPS along with its attached equipments from dangers. Electric power cables and other control cables are disposed reasonably, to prevent signals from magnetic interference and ensure the precision of signal transfer.This paper involves the experiment and operation of a 35 kV/2.8 MW/1000s HVPS [2] for 2.45 GHz/1 MW LHCD system. The reliability and feasibility of the HVPS has been demonstrated in comparison with experimental results of original design and simulation data.

HL-2M装置低杂波钛泵电流监测器的研制

选用Arduino nano开源硬件平台、OLED图形显示器和SD卡等器件,研制了钛泵电流监测器,实现了在非实验期间钛泵电流长期低速采集、存储和趋势图显示功能。同时启用内部中断和外部中断,提升采样频率到1k Hz,拓展了监测器的应用范围。测试结果表明,监测器趋势图与测试信号一致,最大采集误差为0.25μA。

HL-2M托卡马克装置中螺旋波与低杂波的协同电流驱动

螺旋波是一种快磁声波,在托卡马克等离子体中通过电子朗道阻尼和渡越期磁泵效应能够高效地离轴驱动等离子体电流.依托HL-2M装置,根据快波等离子体色散关系,分析获得了螺旋波强阻尼条件下对应的波参数范围;然后,通过联合GENRAY/CQL3D计算程序,针对HL-2M装置稳态运行模式下的螺旋波和低杂波协同电流驱动开展了模拟研究.研究结果表明:高比压等离子体参数下的螺旋波和低杂波都可呈现波射线能量强吸收的现象;双波协同使得波驱动的等离子体电流分布在较大的径向位置范围(ρ=0.2—0.9)内;同时,螺旋波在平行磁场方向加速电子,导致了更多的电子进入低杂波共振区,从而有效地增大了两支波的总驱动电流.此外,在强阻尼条件下,系统地研究了螺旋波平行折射率对双波协同电流驱动的影响,结果表明双波总是呈现正协同效应,协同因子高达1.18.

托卡马克中高谐快波和低杂波协同电流驱动模拟研究

基于全超导托卡马克EAST上的低βe运行参数,采用射线追踪和Fokker-Planck方程程序模拟研究由高场侧发射的高谐快波(HHFW)和低杂波(LHW)联合电流驱动。研究结果表明,满足一定的条件,高场侧发射的HHFW和LHW存在较大的协同效应,且从靠近芯部到离轴较宽的区域内均有正协同效应,能有效提升电流驱动效率,改善电流分布,通过分析其物理机制发现协同效应发生与两支波共振区的速度空间位置关系密切相关,并进一步分析研究了平行折射率、波频率、波功率等参数对两波联合电流驱动协同效应的影响。

Power Control and Data Acquisition System for High Power Microwave Test Bench

The 6 MW/4.6 GHz lower hybrid current drive （LHCD） system will be set up on the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak （EAST） for achieving a steady-state op- eration. The high power and continuous wave （CW） mode microwave test bench operating at 250 kW/4.6 GHz has already been finished, which can be used to simulate different kinds of high power microwave environments to test microwave components and units for the new LHCD sys- tem. The power control and data acquisition system on the test bench composed of power control, high reflected power protection and data acquisition function is described here in detail. Long- term operation of the test bench showed that the power control and data acquisition system is very stable and reliable.

用于托卡马克低混杂波电流驱动的多结波导阵天线

多结波导阵天线是为在中国科学院等离子体物理研究所的ＨＴ－６Ｂ、核工业西南物理研究院的ＨＬ－１和ＨＬ－１Ｍ托卡马克（Ｔｏｋａｍａｋ）装置上进行低混杂波电流驱动（ＬＨＣＤ）实验用的，已取得了一系列有价值的物理数据。文章着重介绍这类天线的物理和结构特性以及制造中的技术难点，并简要介绍用１×８和２×１２路多结阵天线分别在ＨＴ－６Ｂ、ＨＬ－１Ｍ托卡马克上进行的ＬＨＣＤ的实验结果。