Alcator C-Mod Run 930514 Information

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Miniproposals
Miniproposal:
Date Filed:
Title:
First Author:
Session Leader:John Rice (shots 1-28)

Operators
Session leader(s):John Rice
Physics operator(s):Steve Horne
Engineering operator(s):Frank Silva,Joe Daigle

Engineering Operator Run Comment
plasma run. activate ef2 tmx supplies

Session Leader Plans

Physics Operators Plans

Session Leader Summaries
Entered: Jul 7 2004 03:49:07:070PM
Author: To Be Determined

Run Summary 930514
Physics -- Horne, Rice
Engineering -- Frank Silva, Joe Daigle
Consultants -- Tony Taylor and Tom Osborn, from GA.


An interesting and eventful run. The consensus after the last run was that
using the EF2 supplies would significantly improve the null. We began with
feedback control of all systems except EF3, including EF2, and tried to hit a specified
"target" set of currents 5 msec after commutation. EF2 switch was initially closed very late
after commutation, to get a handle on the current rise. We did well enough on
the first shot to get a blink. Thereafter we moved EF2 into the shot and tweaked
and got a plasma again on shot 5. Further tweaks got us to 25 ka on shot 12,
which the ultra-long wavelength x-ray arrays showed a single current channel.
Further adjustments, primarily of vertical field, led to shot 18, which
was a new current record at 29.7 KA.
We dropped oh2 commutation resistance a bit and got 27 KA on shot 20.
Things deteriorated from there.

Power supplies ran very well. There is a fault which occurs in OH2 L when it
is inverted hard but it didn't seem to stop us.
Computers ran well, with minor glitches.
Feedback worked routinely.

Lessons Learned:

1) Great care should be taken to ensure that the PLC current limits
are set well above the currents we want. A rule of thumb might be
3000 A or 20% of required current, whichever is greater,
above the required currents. If you suspect a power supply is mostly
working but seems very slow, raise the plc current limits.

2) Don't wait till 4:00 PM to do the gas scan. It won't happen.
Next time we hit 29.7 KA let's do a gas scan.




Physics Operator Summaries

Session Leader Comments
May 14 1993 09:48:33:550AM930514001John RiceSession Leader: Steve Horne
Engineering Leader: Steve Fairfax
Droog: John Rice

Theme of the run is still the search for the 100 kA holy grail.

Target currents for shot 001:
ef1u 3100
ef1l 3100
ef2u 1200
ef2l 1200
ef3u -600
ef3l -600
ef4u 700
ef4l 700
efcu 0
efcl 0
oh1 10000
oh2u 12000
oh2l 12000

tf 5T
gas h2 8e-5

commutation resistors:

oh1 156 mohm
oh2 46 mohm
ef1 250 mohm

ef2 ballast resistor: 40 mohm


plc current limits:

ef1 6000
ef2 2000
ef3 1000
ef4 1000
oh1 13000
oh2 16000

weak flash 10 kA Ip breakdown late, 10 ms duration
'a miracle occurred'

May 14 1993 09:55:38:820AM930514002John Ricechanged switch time of ef2 +20ms
ef3 voltage changed to reduce effect on ef2
oh1 current dropped 2 kA

no flash

May 14 1993 10:32:15:160AM930514003John Ricestack is where it is wanted
further tweaks in other coils, ef1 needs adjusting
ef1 voltage dropped to 75 at -800 ms
turning on feedback for ef2s 200 ms time constant

no flash

May 14 1993 10:41:12:010AM930514004John Ricefixed programming errors
ef2l was being controlled by ef2u programming, now fixed

goetz shot 43 front 51 back
graf 51 front 46 back

no flash

ef1 current still too high
ef2 fed back nicely
ef3 looks fairly good
ef4s imballanced ef4l drifting

too much vertical field

May 14 1993 10:54:25:290AM930514005John Riceef1 current dropped from 4000 to 3000 at commutation

wimpy flash 'groping in the dark'

within 200 A of requests
breakdown where Bz crosses 0
dBz/dr sucks


tv channel 16 now tangential view

May 14 1993 11:07:13:920AM930514006John Riceef3 voltage pulled more negative to control Bz,
ef2s are going to get hammered

got the flash, very wimpy, 10 ms duration

May 14 1993 11:29:14:730AM930514007John Ricefixed ef3 programming

flash, 15 ms

May 14 1993 11:44:30:390AM930514008John Ricepreprogramming for ef2s is approximately what was attained last shot
preprogramming anticipating demand, moved back in time

lost it, no flash

May 14 1993 11:50:01:980AM930514009John Ricepreprogramming for ef2 leading by 20 ms
tweak on ef3

no flash

May 14 1993 12:12:32:700PM930514010John Riceef3 current limit set to 10000
ef4 voltage changed from -3000 to -2500

flash, late at 30 ms, 15 ms duration, 10 kA, breakdown at 9 V
some oh1 problems

May 14 1993 12:26:35:970PM930514011John Ricewith an exquisitely delicate calculation, have determined that the voltage on ef3
should be dropped at -2 ms from -300 to -230.
the idea is to reduce slightly the current in ef3 at commutation.

no flash

May 14 1993 12:53:52:120PM930514012John Riceaccess violation during wavegen init, allegedly fixed

flash, 35 ms, 20 kA, 'looks more like a single current channel than anything we've had'
'mickey mouse head null'

May 14 1993 01:03:49:270PM930514013John Riceanother delicate tweak to ef3 at -2ms, now at -100 V
change to ef4, moved inversion pulse to -20 ms

flash, broke down early, 35 ms long, 10V on CII, 20 kA

May 14 1993 01:23:42:600PM930514014John Ricerepeat, raised plc current limit of ef4

no flash, too much ef4

May 14 1993 01:42:29:460PM930514015John Ricechanged preprog on ef4 to reduce current at commutation, and reduced the ef2
inversion voltage from -160 to -84

flash, 30 ms long, 'looks like Orion'
feedback is fighting the voltage on ef4

May 14 1993 01:56:20:840PM930514016John Ricetweak to ef4, in same direction as previous, still too much Bz

flash, 40 ms long

May 14 1993 02:06:54:470PM930514017John Riceanti-inverting oh2 by +100V,
ef4 prog coming down to -10V from +20V

flash, 35 ms

May 14 1993 02:23:17:890PM930514018John Ricechanged ef4 prog current from 700 to 650A.

flash, 30 ms long, new current record, 30kA

May 14 1993 02:46:57:800PM930514019John Ricereduced oh2 commutation resistor from 46 mohm to 30 mohm.
changed ef4 prog reduced from 650 to 600 A.

flash, 20 ms long, 16 kA

May 14 1993 03:02:08:970PM930514020John Riceef1 currents dropped by 600A from 3000 to 2400 and ef4 raised to 700A.

flash, 20 ms, 27 kA, Bz still positive
'Monty Python dead parrot'

May 14 1993 03:21:22:590PM930514021John Ricechanged voltage programming at the appropriate time to the appropriate value,
in order to tweak the currently unfavorable field index.

flash, 20 ms, 20 kA, gradient 0 at 20 ms.

May 14 1993 03:33:34:240PM930514022John Rice60A more Bz
same corrections for oh2s (-60V), ef4s raised by 50A to 740A.

flash, 25 ms, 20 kA
forgot to prog oh2u

May 14 1993 03:43:43:160PM930514023John Riceoh2u now prog like oh2l
Bz will be more negative

flash, 40 ms, 15 kA
'who could ask for a better Bz than that?'

May 14 1993 04:01:39:290PM930514024John Rice200A less current in ef1s

flash, 35 ms, 22kA

May 14 1993 04:26:09:800PM930514025John Riceturning on oh1 hard

wimpy flash, 30 ms, 15kA

May 14 1993 04:37:55:130PM930514026John Ricedid what was wanted but too much of it, half this time. 'you definitely have your hand
on the right knob.' oh1 lowered 350V.

flash, 35 ms, 15 kA, drifting downward

May 14 1993 04:57:23:770PM930514027John Ricelowered ef4 by 50A

flash, 35ms , 20 kA

May 14 1993 05:12:50:610PM930514028John Ricemake Bz ramp down more slowly by increasing EF3 by 300V (making it less negative).
Also increased voltage on OH1 by 300V at 12msec.

flash, 15msec, 17.5kA

Physics Operator Comments

Engineering Operator Comments
ShotTimeTypeStatusComment
109:27:45:630AMPlasmaOkshot 1 bd, ef2 ok
209:53:26:670AMPlasmaOk#2 no bd
310:14:03:100AMPlasmaOkno bd, ef2 prog. XX
410:33:55:540AMPlasmaOk
510:45:24:350AMPlasmaOkbd
611:00:58:690AMPlasmaOkbd ok
711:16:14:240AMPlasmaOkbreakers out bd
811:32:57:190AMPlasmaBadcom fail oh2l, ef1 bd
911:46:02:000AMPlasmaBadoh2l comm. fail nbd
1012:00:32:830PMPlasmaBadOH2L com fail
1112:19:49:530PMPlasmaBadno pf
1212:38:49:590PMPlasmaOkBreak down PF Breaker Pulled out look like an oh2 L com Fault.
1312:56:21:130PMPlasmaOkGood Shot
1401:14:19:170PMPlasmaOkOH2L looks like it is single phasing but PF breaker did not come out.
1501:34:06:900PMPlasmaOkBreakdown, Power Supplies OK.
1601:48:02:860PMPlasmaOkPlasma Breakdown No Power Supply Faults.
1702:01:04:540PMPlasmaOkPlasma Breakdown PF System OK
1802:13:50:000PMPlasmaOkPlasma Breakdown Pf System OK.
1902:37:20:960PMPlasmaOkplasma Breakdown PF system OK.
2002:52:40:870PMPlasmaOkPlasma Breakdown PF system OK.
2103:14:14:650PMPlasmaOkPlasma Breakdown Power supplies OK.
2203:28:29:960PMPlasmaOkGood
2303:35:32:070PMPlasmaOkPlasma Breakdown Power Supplies OK.
2403:55:22:010PMPlasmaOkPlasma Breakdown Power Supplies OK.
2504:20:42:750PMPlasmaOkPlasma Breakdown Power Supplies OK
2604:33:13:130PMPlasmaOkPlasma Breakdown Power Supplies OK.
2704:53:00:390PMPlasmaOkplasma Breakdown Power supplies OK
2805:06:14:970PMTestBad