Alcator C-Mod Run 940506 Information

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Miniproposals
Miniproposal:
Date Filed:
Title:
First Author:
Session Leader:Robert Granetz (shots 1-26)

Operators
Session leader(s):Robert Granetz
Physics operator(s):John Goetz
Engineering operator(s):Vinny Bertolino

Engineering Operator Run Comment
closed loop

Session Leader Plans

Physics Operators Plans

Session Leader Summaries

Physics Operator Summaries
Entered: Jul 7 2004 04:36:51:037PM
Author: To Be Determined
Physics operator summary for 940506

EO: Bertilino
PO: Goetz
SL: Granetz

Run 940506 was in support of Mini-Proposal #041 - Startup C-Mod in 1994.
To this end, shot 940505020 was loaded into the hybrid. This was the last
'good' shot from 940505.

Today's goals were to try and complete MP #041 and bring some of the
predictors up to speed with the present set of flux loops and Bp coils.
To that end, MP #041 is still not complete as the best discharge was
~400kA and 0.5 sec in duration. Discharges all day were dirty as
determined by spectroscopy corner (mostly moly, some stainless steel).
The discharges that did go were very disruptive. Reproducibility was
a problem today. The nulls today were acceptable and the only tweak,
a 1mT change in Bz, caused a dud. Fill pressure was moved up and down,
~20%, in a random fashion and it did not appear to be much of a factor
in plasma vs. fizzle.

From an operator standpoint, the RCUR, ZXL, RXL, and CLEARIN predictors
were recalculated with the latest set of 'good' flux loops and Bp coils.
RCUR and CLEARIN appeared to function correctly, but ZXL and RXL had no
data to determine their performance.

Recommendation: Remember to COLDSTART the hybrid before the run begins.

Another Recommendation: Clean up the machine so that the moly fraction
decreases.

Engineering today: Reliable day today for the power systems. Some
unexplained crowbars of the TF but that is all. The fizzle detector
was tested on the TF, OH, EF3, and EF1 supplies and appeared to be
working. An attempt to put the TMX supplies on the fizzle detector
will occur next run day. This inversion of supplies at detection
of the 'no plasma' condition saved on coil cooling time significantly.

Scorecard: 26 shots = 10 plasmas + 14 fizzles + 2 duds

Shot summary for Run 940506

Reload of 940505020

Changes:
Fizzle detector hooked up, turned on at 0.1sec
Invert times on PF supplies moved to 0.5sec

Shot change result
____ _____ ______
1 P_0=1.2e-5 dud
2 COLDSTART hybrid plasma
3 PULSE_GAS_3 to 60V early fizzle
4 PULSE_GAS_3 moved to -.01 kludged the RCUR and ZCUR to get
IP reference fizzle
5 P_0=1.4e-5; turn on chopper @ .06sec; V_CHOPPER=1000V @ .05sec fizzle
6 IC_EF4U to -990A; P_0=1.2e-5 dud
7 reload 940506002 fizzle
8 P_0=1.1e-5 plasma
9 recalculate RCUR predictor (offset = 10000.) plasma
10 no changes fizzle
11 no changes fizzle
12 P_0=1.0e-5 plasma
13 S_IP = -500000 @ .152sec plasma
14 lower PULSE_GAS_3 to 30V @ .1sec; turn on ZCUR integrator @ .1 plasma
15 lower PULSE_GAS_3 early; ZCUR integral gain to 4. fizzle
16 S_IP=-300000 fizzle
17 no changes fizzle
18 no changes fizzle
19 P_0=1.1e-5 fizzle
20 P_0=1.2e-5 plasma
21 S_IP=-400000; calculate CLEARIN predictor; CLEARIN=0.0 fizzle
22 no changes plasma
23 lower PULSE_GAS_3 between .1 & .3 sec fizzle
24 no changes plasma
25 S_IP=-600000; P_0=1.1e-5 fizzle
26 S_IP=-750000; recalculate ZXL and RXL predictors; P_0=1.2e-5 plasma

Session Leader Comments
May 6 1994 08:14:11:340AMRobert GranetzContinuation of miniproposal #41. Start with yesterday's shot #20, which had
0.31 MA, and raise it to eventually get an 0.8 MA diverted plasma with
sufficient clearance from the inner and outer limiters.

May 6 1994 09:12:07:410AM940506001Robert GranetzComplete garbage coming out of the hybrid. There was also a late fault on
OH2L and EF1L (at 0.3 s). The hybrid has subsequently been coldstarted, and
PCS reloaded with shot 20 from yesterday.

May 6 1994 09:32:42:710AM940506002Robert GranetzPlasma. Ip=0.30 MA, duration=0.19 s. Plasma became disruptive at 0.10 s,
and vertical position was lost at 0.15 s. Fizzle detector also seems to
work, but it is not yet connected. Next shot, same except tweak up the
pulse gas.

May 6 1994 09:51:36:440AM940506003Robert GranetzFizzle. Probably the alternating shot syndrome. After this shot, the
hybrid problem with the wavegen Ip reference was fixed for the first three
wires (RCUR, ZCUR(slow), and ZCUR(fast)). Pulse gas is not showing up
until t=0.040 s, so we have moved it 0.010 s earlier for the next shot.

May 6 1994 10:04:03:800AM940506004Robert GranetzAnother fizzle. Null looks similar to the good shot (002). For the next
attempt, I've turned on the EFC for fast ZCUR control, starting at 0.060 s.

Also, the fill pressure will be increased slightly.

May 6 1994 10:39:17:470AM940506005Robert GranetzFizzle. Increase Bz by +1 mT (=+15 A change in EF4). Also reduce pre-fill
from 1.4 to 1.2e-5.

May 6 1994 10:46:21:660AM940506006Robert GranetzNo breakdown. The extra 1 mT seems to have been the wrong thing to do.
Other differences between this shot and the previous plasma (002) is:

Pulse gas turns on earlier (gas shows up at 0.020 s)
EFC feedback turns on at 0.060 s
Ip referenced wires now work

For the next shot, reload shot 002.

May 6 1994 10:58:19:510AM940506007Robert GranetzFlash, but no current. Null reconstructions look alot better. Breakdown
started at 0.006 s. Next shot, lower pre-fill from 1.2 to 1.2e-5

May 6 1994 11:34:00:830AM940506008Robert GranetzPlasma. Ip=-0.27 MA, duration=0.205 s. Plasma becomes very disruptive
starting at 0.10 s. This corresponds to a sudden increase in H-alpha, so
we're hitting the limiter then.

It also appears that we were diverted starting at 0.14 s.

For the next shot, re-calculate the RCUR predictor to bring in the corrections
for the broken magnetics.

May 6 1994 11:52:14:340AM940506009Robert GranetzGot plasma. Two in a row! Ip=0.25 MA, duration=0.235 s.
X-rays say the radial position is reasonably well
controlled. Disruptive behavior starts at 0.105 s. The plasma TV shows that
the plasma starts up detached, and then grows in minor radius until it hits
on the inner wall, probably corresponding to the start of disruptive
behavior.

This means that there's nothing we can do to improve plasma performance
prior to making it diverted.

Next shot, no changes.

May 6 1994 12:02:00:000PM940506010Robert GranetzBreakdown, but no current. No changes for next shot.

May 6 1994 12:13:28:560PM940506011Robert GranetzFizzle. Next shot: lower pre-fill from 1.1 to 1.0e-5 torr.

May 6 1994 12:36:18:900PM940506012Robert GranetzPlasma. Ip=0.28 MA, duration=0.22 s. Disruptive behavior starts at 0.115 s.

For the next shot, raise Ip demand from 0.35 to 0.50 MA. This was done in a
way that also raises dI/dt.

May 6 1994 12:56:55:420PM940506013Robert GranetzPlasma...two in a row again. Ipmax=0.33 MA, duration=0.22 s. Position
gradually drifts upward, even though the programmed demand on ZCUR is to move
down to -2 cm. Xrays are sawtoothing prior to the disruptive phase.

Next shot: decrease pulse gas a bit, and turn on integral gain feedback for
the slow ZCUR control.

May 6 1994 01:18:14:910PM940506014Robert GranetzThree in a row. Ip=0.30 MA, duration=0.28 s. Z-xray is still gradually
rising. I don't think ZCUR control works well enough yet.

Next shot, increase the integral gain on ZCUR and also drop the pulse gas
a little more.

May 6 1994 02:17:37:090PM940506015Robert GranetzFizzle. We have figured out that the reason the ZCUR was not being controlled
very well on previous shots is because the OH's are overloaded by the Ip
feedback. Since we've increased the Ip demand several shots ago, the OH's
voltage has been railing, due to the high resistivity. This leaves no control
of the ZCUR. For the next shot, lower the Ip demand down to 0.300 MA.

May 6 1994 02:18:09:800PM940506016Robert GranetzFizzle. There was a 20 minute delay to investigate an alternator problem.
No changes for next shot.

May 6 1994 02:18:20:800PM940506017Robert GranetzFizzle. No changes for next shot.

May 6 1994 02:41:07:860PM940506018Robert GranetzFizzle. H-alpha arrays indicate that on this shot, the breakdown plasma
went outwards. There was actually the beginnings of a current rise (to 40 kA),
so perhaps dI/dt was too fast. Therefore, for the next shot we will raise
the pre-fill from 1.0 to 1.1e-5. Null looks good, as it has all day.

May 6 1994 02:57:20:670PM940506019Robert GranetzFizzle. No change in dI/dt. Next shot: raise pre-fill from 1.1 to 1.2e-5.

May 6 1994 03:21:01:920PM940506020Robert GranetzHey, we got a reasonable plasma. Ip=0.4 MA, duration=0.39 s. Plasma may
have touched the outer limiters. We just missed pulling a divertor.

On the next shot, we will turn on CLEARIN feedback, in an effort to get a
divertor. For the next shot, CLEARIN is set to zero. Also, Ip is set
to 0.4 MA.

May 6 1994 03:37:27:850PM940506021Robert GranetzFizzle. No changes for next shot.

May 6 1994 03:55:04:450PM940506022Robert GranetzAnother reasonably good plasma. Ip=0.4 MA, duration=0.34 s. Control of
CLEARIN is not convincing yet. For the next shot, reduce the pulse gas
a bit.

May 6 1994 04:20:23:070PM940506023Robert GranetzFizzle. No changes for the next shot.

May 6 1994 04:35:14:510PM940506024Robert GranetzBest shot of the day so far. Ip=0.40 MA (which is what the demand is),
duration=0.48 s. Diverted plasma after t=0.175 s. There is also a sudden
50% drop in the H-alpha at 0.4 s, but none of the other typical H-mode
signatures were observed. Wasn't a shark fin either.

Next shot, increase Ip to 0.6 MA and decrease pre-fill from 1.2 to 1.1e-5.

May 6 1994 05:00:24:800PM940506025Robert GranetzFizzle. For the next shot:

1) Raise pre-fill to 1.2e-5
2) Increase Ip to 0.75 MA
3) Re-calculate R_XL and Z_XL predictors to take account of the bad
flux loops and Bp coils.

May 6 1994 05:10:26:550PM940506026Robert GranetzPlasma, but it disrupted early. Ip is about 0.37 MA, duration=0.20 s. All
the photon radiation signals were really high, indicating a possible impurity
problem.

End of run. End of week.

Physics Operator Comments

Engineering Operator Comments
ShotTimeTypeStatusComment
108:59:09:280AMPlasmaOkpoor programming
209:18:10:680AMPlasmaOkno faults
309:31:14:110AMPlasmaBadoh1 comm fault
409:48:24:960AMPlasmaOkno faults
510:09:19:540AMPlasmaOkno faults
610:30:45:710AMPlasmaOkoh1 comm fault after inversion
710:46:51:380AMPlasmaOkno faults
811:07:24:140AMPlasmaOkno faults
911:27:59:350AMPlasmaOkno faults
1011:49:17:900AMPlasmaOkoh1 comm fault
1112:06:31:340PMPlasmaOkoh1 comm fault
1212:21:57:710PMPlasmaOkno faults
1312:41:07:920PMPlasmaOkno faults
1401:01:07:290PMPlasmaOkno faults
1501:20:29:840PMPlasmaOkno faults
1601:38:28:030PMPlasmaOk
1702:07:58:550PMPlasmaOk
1802:23:35:670PMTestOk
1902:41:50:710PMPlasmaOk
2002:59:49:750PMPlasmaBadOH1 comm fault Good plasma shot
2103:22:01:850PMPlasmaOk
2203:36:36:330PMPlasmaBadTF c-bar
2303:57:55:050PMPlasmaOk
2404:23:18:470PMPlasmaBadTF c-bar
2504:46:14:810PMPlasmaOk
2605:01:50:420PMPlasmaBad400 kA plasma. OH1 commutation fault induced by plasma disruption.