Alcator C-Mod Run 950106 Information

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Miniproposals
Miniproposal:
Date Filed:
Title:
First Author:
Session Leader:Yuichi Takase (shots 1-20)
Session Leader:Steve Horne (shots 1-20)

Operators
Session leader(s):Yuichi Takase,Steve Horne
Physics operator(s):Robert Granetz
Engineering operator(s):Vinny Bertolino

Engineering Operator Run Comment

Session Leader Plans

Physics Operators Plans

Session Leader Summaries

Physics Operator Summaries
Entered: Jul 7 2004 04:36:52:817PM
Author: To Be Determined
Physics operator's run summary for 950106

SL: Yuichi Takase
PO: R. Granetz
EL: V. Bertolino

GOAL: condition E-port antenna

PIGGYBACK:
Increase plasma elongation to test the (hopefully) faster EFC response.
(Steve Horne).

RESULTS:
The RF had severe arcing problems, probably somewhere in the tuners.
The problems were bad enough to lead to an early cessation of the run
in order to allow for debugging and repairs.

The piggyback goal was carried out successfully, with the final shot
having an elongation of 1.73 and a centroid on the midplane.

MISCELLANEOUS:
EF1L is having a difficult time following its demand, and this resulted
in two duds early in the run. We managed to work around this, but the
problem needs some looking into. There was another dud due to a fault
in EF4.

There were 4 fizzles (probably due to Ip rising too fast) and a lot of
shots had early hard x-rays. Both of these are thought to be indications
of a very clean machine, although the base pressure did not go below
1.6e-6 torr.

TALLY:
13 Plasmas
4 Fizzles
3 Duds (power supply problems)

SPECIAL NOTE:
There were no disruptions in this run.

Detailed shot-by-shot account follows:

Plan: start with shot 950104009 and repeat it over and over again. This shot is
a typical diverted plasma, with Ip=0.6 MA and nl_04=0.8e20 m-2.

There were a couple of hours of ECDC prior to this run.
Base pressure at 10 minutes prior to start of run is 9e-7 torr.
Set pre-fill at 1.4e-5 torr.

Shot 001:
Plasma. Nice shot. Density control is excellent. Plasma position
is at -1.3 cm (x-ray centroid). Antenna E had multiple pulses up
to 0.8 MW. This is a very satisfactory target plasma for the RF
conditioning goals.

For next shot, tweak chopper pre-programmed bias voltage after t=0
from V=0 to V=+200 volts (requested by Steve Horne.)

Shot 002:
Dud. EF1L had overshooting problem.

Next shot: increase nl from 0.8 to 1.0e20 m-2. Also change EF1L
voltage programming from -60 to -50 volts prior to t=0.

Shot 003:
Dud. EF1L is having some problems getting to the demand current prior
to t=0.

Next shot, tweak EF1L current programming (in segment 01).

Shot 004:
Plasma. Nice shot. EF1L is still not following demand. RF was only
at a few kW.

Next shot: push back EF1U & L start and close times by 0.1 s, and
adjust voltage and current programming demands accordingly.

Shot 005:
Fizzle. (50 kA)

Next shot: decrease fast ZCUR derivative gain (requested by Steve
Horne). Otherwise, just do a repeat.

Shot 006:
Plasma. This higher density (nl=1.0e20 m-2) is resulting in detachment
during the current ramp. There are also some hard x-rays early in
the shot. Prf up to 0.6 MW.

Next shot: program density to come down faster (but still starting
at 0.8 s, as before), and raise the pre-fill from 1.4 to 1.5e-5 torr.

Shot 007:
Plasma. Still had detachment during rampdown (after 1.2 s) and hard
x-rays early. RF got to 0.3-0.4 MW.

Next shot: raise pre-fill again (1.5 to 1.6e-5 torr), and start density
rampdown 50 ms earlier.

Shot 008:
Plasma. Still had detachment, perhaps a touch later (1.23 s), and there
were still (a lower) level of hard x-rays.

Next shot: tweak up the pulse gas voltage early in the shot, and
(for Steve Horne) turn on the fast ZCUR on wire 10 and turn off the
fast ZCUR on wire 03. We also increased the derivative gain and
decreased the proportional gain.

Shot 009:
Dud. Caused by EF4 faulting at -0.7 s.

Next shot: no changes.

Shot 010:
Plasma. No hard x-rays (finally). Still had detachment late in the
rampdown. RF had many, many faults and restrikes.

Next shot: increase fast ZCUR derivative gain again from 1.2 to 1.5.
Steve Horne thinks the zcentroid is more stable on shot 10 than on
shot 9.

Shot 011:
Plasma. Same as previous shot. RF is having problems.

Next shot: decrease density from nl=1.0e20 to 0.8e20 m-2.

Shot 012:
Fizzle.

Next shot: repeat with no changes.

Shot 013:
Plasma. Hard x-rays early in the shot. RF is having problems.

Next shot: increase density from nl=0.8e20 to nl=1.2e20 m-2, and
tweak the pulse gas voltage up a little early in the shot, and
increase fast ZCUR derivative gain and decrease fast ZCUR proportional
gain.

Shot 014:
Plasma. Hard x-rays early. RF having problems.

Next shot: increase pulse gas voltage early. Also change chopper
voltage programming (requested by Steve Horne).

Shot 015:
Plasma. Hard x-rays early. These higher density shots have all
detached late in the current rampdown. RF having problems.

Next shot: move the entire pulse gas voltage programming earlier
by 1 ms, and decrease the fast ZCUR derivative gain by a factor of 2.

Shot 016:
Fizzle. It's not an obvious "bouncer" on the polychromator...could
be overgassed by the 1 ms shift in pulse gas programming.

Next shot: repeat with no changes

Shot 017:
Plasma. Lots of hard x-rays early. RF having problems.

Next shot: move entire pulse gas voltage programming earlier by
another millisecond. Also lower ZXL by 1 cm.

Shot 018:
Fizzle. 50 kA. Protoplasma moved outwards.

Next shot: increase pre-fill from 1.6 to 1.7e-5 torr and repeat.

Shot 019:
Plasma. No hard x-rays (finally). The elongation was slightly higher
(1.62) since ZXL was lowered by 1 cm.

Next shot: ramp the Z-centroid from -1.5 cm to 0.0, which will be a good
test of the "supposedly" faster EFC capability.

Shot 020:
Plasma. Z-centroid moved from -1.5 cm to 0.0, without losing vertical
position control, although EFC almost railed. The elongation reached
1.73, with the plasma centered at the midplane.

Because of the problems with the RF, and given the successful
completion of the piggyback goal of exercising the faster EFC response,
and the fact the EF1L needs some looking into, we are going to stop the
run now (at 14:10), so that repairs can be made.

Session Leader Comments

Physics Operator Comments
Jan 6 1995 02:15:03:060PMRobert GranetzSL: Yuichi Takase
PO: R. Granetz
EL: V. Bertolino

Goal: condition E-port antenna

Piggyback goal (Steve Horne): increase plasma elongation to test
the (hopefully) faster EFC response.

Plan: start with shot 950104009 and repeat it over and over again. This shot is
a typical diverted plasma, with Ip=0.6 MA and nl_04=0.8e20 m-2.

There were a couple of hours of ECDC prior to this run.
Base pressure at 10 minutes prior to start of run is 9e-7 torr.
Set pre-fill at 1.4e-5 torr.

Jan 6 1995 08:57:08:880AM950106001Robert Granetz Plasma. Nice shot. Density control is excellent. Plasma position
is at -1.3 cm (x-ray centroid). Antenna E had multiple pulses up
to 0.8 MW. This is a very satisfactory target plasma for the RF
conditioning goals.

For next shot, tweak chopper pre-programmed bias voltage after t=0
from V=0 to V=+200 volts (requested by Steve Horne.)

Jan 6 1995 09:13:41:850AM950106002Robert Granetz Dud. EF1L had overshooting problem.

Next shot: increase nl from 0.8 to 1.0e20 m-2. Also change EF1L
voltage programming from -60 to -50 volts prior to t=0.

Jan 6 1995 09:28:59:030AM950106003Robert Granetz Dud. EF1L is having some problems getting to the demand current prior
to t=0. Next shot, tweak EF1L current programming (in segment 01).


Jan 6 1995 09:49:33:840AM950106004Robert Granetz Plasma. Nice shot. EF1L is still not following demand. RF was only
at a few kW.

Next shot: push back EF1U & L start and close times by 0.1 s, and
adjust voltage and current programming demands accordingly.

Jan 6 1995 10:00:45:160AM950106005Robert Granetz Fizzle. (50 kA)

Next shot: decrease fast ZCUR derivative gain (requested by Steve
Horne). Otherwise, just do a repeat.


Jan 6 1995 10:11:52:130AM950106006Robert Granetz Plasma. This higher density (nl=1.0e20 m-2) is resulting in detachment
during the current ramp. There are also some hard x-rays early in
the shot. Prf up to 0.6 MW.

Next shot: program density to come down faster (but still starting
at 0.8 s, as before), and raise the pre-fill from 1.4 to 1.5e-5 torr.


Jan 6 1995 10:29:29:630AM950106007Robert Granetz Plasma. Still had detachment during rampdown (after 1.2 s) and hard
x-rays early. RF got to 0.3-0.4 MW.

Next shot: raise pre-fill again (1.5 to 1.6e-5 torr), and start density
rampdown 50 ms earlier.


Jan 6 1995 10:52:19:900AM950106008Robert Granetz Plasma. Still had detachment, perhaps a touch later (1.23 s), and there
were still (a lower) level of hard x-rays.

Next shot: tweak up the pulse gas voltage early in the shot, and
(for Steve Horne) turn on the fast ZCUR on wire 10 and turn off the
fast ZCUR on wire 03. We also increased the derivative gain and
decreased the proportional gain.


Jan 6 1995 11:08:16:630AM950106009Robert Granetz Dud. Caused by EF4 faulting at -0.7 s.

Next shot: no changes.

Jan 6 1995 11:37:55:540AM950106010Robert Granetz Plasma. No hard x-rays (finally). Still had detachment late in the
rampdown. RF had many, many faults and restrikes.

Next shot: increase fast ZCUR derivative gain again from 1.2 to 1.5.
Steve Horne thinks the zcentroid is more stable on shot 10 than on
shot 9.


Jan 6 1995 11:46:06:550AM950106011Robert Granetz Plasma. Same as previous shot.

Next shot: decrease density from nl=1.0e20 to 0.8e20 m-2.


Jan 6 1995 11:57:59:410AM950106012Robert Granetz Fizzle.

Next shot: repeat with no changes.


Jan 6 1995 12:15:19:100PM950106013Robert Granetz Plasma. Hard x-rays early in the shot.

Next shot: increase density from nl=0.8e20 to nl=1.2e20 m-2, and
tweak the pulse gas voltage up a little early in the shot, and
increase fast ZCUR derivative gain and decrease fast ZCUR proportional
gain.


Jan 6 1995 12:24:37:440PM950106014Robert Granetz Plasma. Hard x-rays early.

Next shot: increase pulse gas voltage early. Also change chopper
voltage programming (requested by Steve Horne).


Jan 6 1995 12:42:42:420PM950106015Robert Granetz Plasma. Hard x-rays early. These higher density shots have all
detached late in the current rampdown.

Next shot: move the entire pulse gas voltage programming earlier
by 1 ms, and decrease the fast ZCUR derivative gain by a factor of 2.


Jan 6 1995 01:02:03:990PM950106016Robert Granetz Fizzle. It's not an obvious "bouncer" on the polychromator...could
be overgassed by the 1 ms shift in pulse gas programming.

Next shot: repeat with no changes


Jan 6 1995 01:13:46:940PM950106017Robert Granetz Plasma. Lots of hard x-rays early. RF having problems.

Next shot: move entire pulse gas voltage programming earlier by
another millisecond. Also lower ZXL by 1 cm.


Jan 6 1995 01:27:06:270PM950106018Robert Granetz Fizzle. 50 kA. Protoplasma moved outwards.

Next shot: increase pre-fill from 1.6 to 1.7e-5 torr and repeat.


Jan 6 1995 01:41:23:720PM950106019Robert Granetz Plasma. No hard x-rays (finally). The elongation was slightly higher
(1.62) since ZXL was lowered by 1 cm.

Next shot: ramp the Z-centroid from -1.5 cm to 0.0, which will be a good
test of the "supposedly" faster EFC capability.


Jan 6 1995 02:10:35:330PM950106020Robert Granetz Plasma. Z-centroid moved from -1.5 cm to 0.0, without losing vertical
position control, although EFC almost railed. The elongation reached
1.73, with the plasma centered at the midplane.

Because of the problems with the RF, and given the successful
completion of the piggyback goal of exercising the faster EFC response,
and the fact the EF1L needs some looking into, we are going to stop the
run now (at 14:10), so that repairs can be made.


Engineering Operator Comments
ShotTimeTypeStatusComment
108:43:25:880AMPlasmaOkno faults
208:57:49:740AMPlasmaOkno faults
309:15:05:180AMPlasmaOkno faults
409:30:01:360AMPlasmaOkno faults
509:51:17:060AMPlasmaOkno faults
610:02:16:130AMPlasmaOkno faults
710:19:14:210AMPlasmaOkno faults
810:37:36:790AMPlasmaOkno faults
911:04:15:520AMPlasmaBadef4a unsched. output
1011:24:45:710AMPlasmaOkno faults
1111:39:27:950AMPlasmaOkno faults
1211:52:05:400AMPlasmaOkno faults
1312:02:24:940PMPlasmaOkno faults
1412:17:19:020PMPlasmaOkno faults
1512:31:43:890PMPlasmaOkno faults
1612:52:30:680PMPlasmaOkno faults
1701:04:53:690PMPlasmaOkPlasma shot O.K.
1801:17:11:860PMPlasmaOkNo Faults.
1901:30:49:300PMPlasmaOkNo faults.
2001:50:23:990PMPlasmaOkNo faults.