Alcator C-Mod Run 1040128 Information

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Miniproposals
Miniproposal:381
Date Filed: 1/15/2004
Title:Shape development for joint EDA experiments with JFT2-M
First Author:Amanda Hubbard
Session Leader:Amanda Hubbard (shots 1-22)

Operators
Session leader(s):Amanda Hubbard
Physics operator(s):Earl Marmar
Engineering operator(s): Unknown

Engineering Operator Run Comment
MP#381 JFT2-M shape devel (1/2d) & MP#357 Low freq AMHD; SL:Hubbard/Snip

Session Leader Plans

Physics Operators Plans

Session Leader Summaries
Entered: Jul 7 2004 03:49:02:477PM
Author: Amanda Hubbard




Run Summary for 1040128: MP 381 Shape development for joint EDA experiments
with JFT2M.

Session Leader: Amanda Hubbard
Physics Operator: Earl Marmar

Purpose: To start the process of shape development for future
matching experiments with JFT2M. Goal is to match triangularity and
elongation. It is possible that we will be able to
start increasing the aspect ratio, though this is likely to require
more shots. This will be an ohmic run, since RF is being reconfigured
this week.

Plan:

Starting point: Load waveforms from 1031212011 (ITB delta scan).
This shot had delta_u=0.3, and delta_l=0.7, not too far from where we
want to go.
For first shot, raise Bt to 5.0 T, and Ip to 1.0 MA.

For subsequent shots we will want to:
- reduce kappa to (or towards) 1.5 (from 1.67)
- increase delta_l to 0.87
- reduce delta_u to 0.2
- adjust Ip to give q95=3.2

A shape sent by JFT2M will be used for shot-to-shot comparison (see
saveset in /home/wolfe/efit/test/jft2m_97156_00700.sav )

If things go really well and we achieve this, go further and attempt
to increase aspect ratio (ie make a very big inner gap) as per MP.

Results:

The run, which was deliberately started late, made good progress
towards the goals. We succeeded in getting quite a good match to the
JFT2M shape at our normal aspect ratio. Shot 1040128009 is perhaps
the best example, though 10 and 11 were similar. Interestingly, these
5 T, 1 MA plasmas almost all had ohmic H-mode giving quite a low power
threshold (P/nBS ~ 0.02).

Subsequent discharges attempted to match the significantly higher
aspect ratio of JFT2M, which requires a very large inner gap. The
controllers did work quite well in this regime. Shot 1040128019 was
the best, non disruptive, example with close to the right central
position and vertical extent. However, the elongation was too low
(1.3 vs 1.55). Attempts to reduce the minor radius (shots 20-22)
resulted in early disruptions. It is not clear whether this is a
fundamental limitation in the C-Mod control capability, though it is clear
that such discharges are not easy to make!

Physics Operator Summaries
Entered: Jul 7 2004 04:36:48:880PM
Author: Earl Marmar
MP 381 Shape development for joint EDA experiments with JFT2-M

SL: Hubbard
PO: Marmar

Start from 1031212011, Ip to 1 MA, Bt to 5.0 T
Tweak from there to get JFT-2M poloidal shape at C-Mod normal aspect ratio
Then go to JFT2-M aspect ratio

Note that there was an air leak into the machine yesterday (up to .2
Torr for a while)
ECDC and bake yesterday afternoon and overnight, stopping at about 11:00 am.

The run started at noon, and ended at 5:00 pm.



Results:

The machine ran well today. Cleanliness was not a problem.in spite of
the air leak yesterday, H/D was low throughout the day. The shots were
ohmic only, with no ICRF. We made significant progress on the
MP. This was a real wire-head run, calling for unusual shapes,
especially for the second half of the MP. We came pretty close to the
JFT2-M poloidal shape at the C-Mod aspect ratio (see shot 11), not as
close at the JFT2-M aspect ratio (shot 19 was probably the best). The
former had ohmic H-modes (5 Tesla, 1 MA), even at quite high
density. The latter were very touchy, mostly disrupting early, and
tended toward outboard limited. Getting a large enough inner gap seems
to be the biggest challenge, although x-point control is also
difficult. EF2-lower went to 0 on a number of shots, leading to loss
of vertical control in some cases.

Many PCS factors had to be changed, along with time constants, to keep
within limits for a number of wires (RCUR, CLEARIN, RXL, ZXL, EF2 by EF4).

There were 5 fizzles, at least some because BR0 drifted a bit positive.

Scorecard:
17 plasmas
5 fizzles

22 data cycles.

Session Leader Comments
Jan 28 2004 12:57:35:153PMAmanda HubbardRun Plan for 1040128: MP 381 Shape development for joint EDA experiments
with JFT2M.

Purpose: To start the process of shape development for future
matching experiments with JFT2M. Goal is to match triangularity and
elongation. It is possible that we will be able to
start increasing the aspect ratio, though this is likely to require
more shots. This will be an ohmic run, since RF is being reconfigured
this week.

Starting point: Load waveforms from 1031212011 (ITB delta scan).
This shot had delta_u=0.3, and delta_l=0.7, not too far from where we
want to go.
For first shot, raise Bt to 5.0 T, and Ip to 1.0 MA.

For subsequent shots we will want to:
- reduce kappa to (or towards) 1.5 (from 1.67)
- increase delta_l to 0.87
- reduce delta_u to 0.2
- adjust Ip to give q95=3.2

A shape sent by JFT2M will be used for shot-to-shot comparison (see
saveset in /home/wolfe/efit/test/jft2m_97156_00700.sav )

If things go really well and we achieve this, go further and attempt
to increase aspect ratio (ie make a very big inner gap) as per MP.
Jan 28 2004 12:56:35:197PM1040128004Amanda HubbardShape getting pretty close, top half matches JFT2M well. Bottom needs x-pt up and in.

Still ohmic H-modes.
Jan 28 2004 02:16:19:077PM1040128009Amanda HubbardThis shot has fairly good match to JFT2M shape, except for the squareness in lower outside quadrant.

Still H-modes, even though we raised nel.
Jan 28 2004 02:33:26:740PM1040128011Amanda HubbardSimilar shape, stayed in L-mode at high nel (~ 1.5e20).

This is probably the best shape match we can get. q95=3.05; would reduce Ip to 950 kA to get q=3.2

Next, try to increase aspect ratio....
Jan 28 2004 03:21:33:527PM1040128014Amanda HubbardGot small plasma, went limited on outside. Good first step.

Jan 28 2004 04:32:29:063PM1040128019Amanda HubbardThis is the best plasma so far. Stays diverted to ~ 1 sec, about right R0, height. amin still too large;
kappa 1.35, 340 kA.

Physics Operator Comments
Jan 28 2004 11:58:08:613AMEarl MarmarMP 381 Shape development for joint EDA experiments with JFT2-M

SL: Hubbard

Start from 1031212011, Ip to 1 MA, Bt to 5.0 T
Tweak from there to get JFT-2M poloidal shape at C-Mod normal aspect ratio
Then go to JFT2-M aspect ratio

Note that there was an air leak into the machine yesterday (up to .2 Torr for a while)
ECDC and bake yesterday afternoon and overnight

Jan 28 2004 12:12:51:337PM1040128001Earl Marmarload from 1031212011
load segment 1 from 1040127002
increase Ip to 1 MA
increase nl_04 demand to 9e19
increase flattop TF to -136 kA (5 T)

Base pressure 2.3e-7 before the shot

Plasma, full length


Jan 28 2004 12:23:55:067PM1040128002Earl Marmarlower ZCUR to -2.5 cm during flattop
tweak early Ip ramp to get rid of current lurch
plasma
kappa=1.6
Jan 28 2004 12:39:12:693PM1040128003Earl Marmartweak the shape:

Increase ZXL
Decrease RXL
Increase ZXU
Increase RXU

fizzle
Jan 28 2004 01:00:27:360PM1040128004Earl Marmarlower prefill by 2 msec to 13 msec

plasma
Jan 28 2004 01:09:14:977PM1040128005Earl MarmarRXL decrease 2.5 cm
ZXL increase 2.5 cm

plasma

early disrupt (0.51 s)
EF2 lower goes to 0, lose vertical control
Jan 28 2004 01:25:31:717PM1040128006Earl Marmarslow down the RXL, ZXL ramps
EF2 by EF4 to -2500 (from -2000)

plasma
disrupt at .753 s

EF2L going to 0 around 0.5 seconds
Jan 28 2004 01:28:12:750PM1040128007Earl Marmarease off on RXL and ZXL extremes (by 1 cm each)
EF2 by EF4 to -4000

fizzle
Jan 28 2004 01:53:57:433PM1040128008Earl Marmarreduce BR0 offset to .0005 to .0002

plasma
made it to 1.25 seconds, shape not too bad
not sure why we're losing it, EF1L is getting close to 0, but not there
there is a strong radiated power increase around 1.2 seconds
Jan 28 2004 02:09:33:837PM1040128009Earl Marmarraise nl_04 program to 1.1e20 (try to stay out of H-Mode)

plasma
made it to 1.5 seconds
still getting H-modes
EF2L is riding very close to 0 after .65 s
Jan 28 2004 02:13:04:073PM1040128010Earl Marmarincrease nl_04 target to 1.25e20
start Ip rampdown at 1.2 seconds

fizzle
Jan 28 2004 02:22:21:490PM1040128011Earl Marmarreduce prefill puff by 1 msec to 12 msec


Jan 28 2004 02:41:24:857PM1040128012Earl Marmarno segment 1 changes
fizzle
Jan 28 2004 02:56:05:467PM1040128013Earl MarmarBR0 offset increase by .5 mT to .0007T


segment 2:
RCUR to 0.72
clearin to .1
various x-pt changes
Ip to 0.5 MA
nl_04 target to 8.3e19

fizzle
Jan 28 2004 03:26:17:330PM1040128014Earl MarmarBR0 offset to 0.0000

limited on outside

disrupt at ~0.6 seconds, very high density


Jan 28 2004 03:38:20:577PM1040128015Earl Marmarincrease clearin another 4 cm

decrease nl_04 target to 0.6e20

plasma
disrupt at 0.43 seconds
too elongated, n/ncrit=1.2
Jan 28 2004 03:52:59:703PM1040128016Earl Marmarincrease zxl by 12 cm (ramping until .7 seconds)

plasma to .66 seconds

outboard limited
Jan 28 2004 04:00:59:650PM1040128017Earl MarmarEF2 by EF4 to -5000
plasma

looks pretty similar to 16; EF2_L still going to 0
Jan 28 2004 04:18:34:873PM1040128018Earl MarmarRamp RCUR out more gradually, not so far

plasma
made it through this time
R is just about right (maybe 1 cm too small)
still outboard limited
Jan 28 2004 04:30:49:153PM1040128019Earl Marmarincrease clearin
reduce Ip to 0.4 MA
plasma

getting close, still kissing the outboard limiter and inner gap still a bit small
Jan 28 2004 04:40:30:070PM1040128020Earl MarmarEliminate small RCUR ramp between .7 and 1.2 seconds
increase clearin

disrupt at 0.7, not obvious why

shape doesn't look bad
Jan 28 2004 04:58:27:140PM1040128021Earl Marmartweak clearin
Ip prog to .45 MA
plasma
earlier disruption (0.57 s)
OH1 near crossover
Jan 28 2004 05:04:23:960PM1040128022Earl Marmarlower Ip program at segment switch
plasma
disrupt at .584 s, still near OH1 crossover, but not obvious this is the problem

Engineering Operator Comments
ShotTimeTypeStatusComment
112:04:30:903PMPlasmaOk
212:18:04:043PMPlasmaOk
312:32:41:950PMPlasmaOk
412:45:07:060PMPlasmaOk
512:58:02:933PMPlasmaOk
601:12:00:357PMPlasmaOk
701:24:42:480PMPlasmaOk
801:37:16:963PMPlasmaOk
901:53:24:730PMPlasmaOk
1002:09:46:053PMPlasmaOk
1102:22:17:130PMPlasmaOk
1202:38:46:290PMPlasmaOk
1302:51:33:480PMPlasmaOk
1403:06:25:353PMPlasmaOk
1503:25:34:190PMPlasmaOk
1603:39:06:047PMPlasmaOkPF breaker opened to disruption
1703:53:29:800PMPlasmaOk
1804:06:22:110PMPlasmaOk
1904:19:13:797PMPlasmaOk
2004:32:25:110PMPlasmaOk
2104:45:46:797PMPlasmaOk
2204:58:42:080PMPlasmaOk