Alcator C-Mod Run 950510 Information

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Miniproposals
Miniproposal:110a
Date Filed: 4/7/1995
Title:3He Mode Conversion Heating
First Author:Yuichi Takase
Session Leader:Yuichi Takase (shots 1-26)

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

Engineering Operator Run Comment
high field (6.4T)Horne

Session Leader Plans

Physics Operators Plans

Session Leader Summaries
Entered: Jul 7 2004 03:49:13:693PM
Author: To Be Determined
MP110A H-He3 Mode Conversion Heating (6.4T)

SL: Takase
PO: Horne/Granetz
EO: Bertolino/Daigle

This was our first attempt at running C-Mod at 6.5T.
The plasma ran extremely reliably, with no major problems.
We have observed DIRECT electron heating, and were able to
shift the power deposition zone radially by changing the
He3 concentration. Preliminary indication is that higher
He3 concentration gives more central power deposition.
RF had cross-coupling problems between the two antennas
(due to poor single-pass absorption) and most of the data
were taken with only one antenna.

ECDC in H2

shot
01 test
02 pl 5.4T, 0.6MA, X-rays
03 pl 5.4T, nel_04=0.8e20
04 pl 5.9T, nel_04=0.8, RF on with modulation
05 pl 6.6T, nel_04=0.7->1.0->0.6 (He3 puff 90V 0.5-0.55sec) E port tripped
better e heating than shot 004
He3 pumps out according to McPherson
Try to keep He3 puff at a lower level for next shot
delay due to alternator problem
06 pl 6.5T, nel_04=0.8->1.9->0.8 (nel prog step-up too early)
He3 puff 90V 0.5-0.55sec, 35V 0.55-0.9sec
no E-port
07 pl 6.5T, 0.8MA, nel_04=0.7->1.1->0.9 (nel prog step-up still too early)
E-port tripped
08 pl nel_04=0.7->1.0->0.9
E-port tripped
09 pl nel_04=0.7->1.0 (density drop fixed)
Heating moves off-axis with time
D & E tripping
10 pl nel_04=0.7->1.0
He3 puff 90V 0.5-0.55sec, 50V 0.55-0.9sec
Heating stays on-axis
D & E tripping
11 pl same
D & E tripping
12 pl fixed outer gap excursion, R_gap=1.5cm
13 pl larger outer gap, R_gap=2.3cm
14 pl still having trouble running both antennas together (cross-talk)
E-port only this time
15 pl D-port only (giving up on two antenna operation for today)
R_gap=1.6->1.2cm
16 pl R_gap=1.3cm, P_D=0.5-1.5MW
17 pl same, McPherson not working for 15, 16, 17
start He3 scan
18 pl He3 puff 90V 0.5-0.55sec, 50V 0.55-0.9sec, HeII(304)=5, Te0(max)=2.5keV
19 pl no He3 puff, HeII(304)=3, Te0(max)=2.0keV
20 pl no He3 again, HeII(304)=2, Te0(max)=2.0keV
21 pl He3 90V 0.5-0.53sec, 40V 0.53-0.9sec, HeII(304)=3-4, Te0(max)=2.2keV
22 pl He3 90V 0.5-0.57sec, 60V 0.57-0.9sec, HeII(304)=4-11, Te0(max)=2.2keV
short RF
23 pl lowered initial density, He3 90V 0.5-0.57sec, 55V 0.57-0.9sec,
HeII(304)=5-8, no RF
OH2 adjustment
24 pl He3 90V 0.5-0.57sec, 40V 0.57-0.9sec,
25 pl same, some RF from D & E, HeII(304)=4, Te0(max)=3keV
26 pl same, D-port OK, HeII(304)=4, Te0(max)=3.0keV

Physics Operator Summaries
Entered: Jul 7 2004 04:36:54:177PM
Author: To Be Determined
Run plan // run report -- 950510
MP 110A H - He3 Mode conversion Heating, TF = 6.4 T.

Engineering notes:

ECDC in Hydrogen before run. (See OPS bulletin from Yuichi.)

Hydrogen on A side (pulse_gas3), fill at 2.0e-5, plenum pressure 20 lb.
(Purge before filling).

He 3 on B side upper (pulse_gas2)

Settings as for last shot on 950509,
EXCEPT:
TF start time = -.96 sec
TF current limit set to give 181 KA on TF Rogowski.
note -- 181KA is what we want, not what you "set" on the PLC.
Use the test shots to determine the necessary calibration.
TF Flat top should be reached at about 400 msec. Set TF Fizzle Delay
accordingly.

Physics Issues:
Breakdown fields:
Start TF ramp at -0.96 sec. The objective
is to be ramping through 5.3 T at commutation.
Breakdown tweaks will probably include tf start time.
TF flat-top at 181 KA will be reached at about 0.4 sec.
This is very near the IP flat-top at 800 ka.
This will put the disruption (and fizzle detector) on the TF high tap,
with roughly 400 msec to go to TF flattop. This is to be compared with
the 500 msec delay from fizzle to TF invert, and an engineering decision
needs to be made on whether this is sufficient margin. Gwinn recommends
modifying the delay to 700 msec.

Gas -- check previous runs to see H/D startup differences.
According to Wolfe (950425) the EF2 supplies tend to rail
in H due to plasma being cold. He ran fill of 2.0e-5.

Put He3 in B Side Upper, verify fizzle detector disables it.
(Make sure we don't puff during a fizzle. He3 is expensive.)
How will concentration be monitered?

I propose to begin at IP = 600 KA until breakdown, RF,
and rampdown are debugged (the latter only to some extent,
to avoid the disruption/fizzle cycle).
Plan to load segment 2 from 950505028, H-Mode run, 600 KA shot.


RUN REPORT --

The run went astonishingly well; we ran with TF = 6.5 Tesla from shot 5 on.
Breakdown was reproducible (no fizzles).
The only change from yesterday's breakdown sequence was to delay the TF start
an additional 40 msec, to -960 msec. This was probably unnecessary.
Compared to yesterday, BR ran perhaps 0.5 to 1.0 mT more positive. There
seemed to be a correlation with BR and slight breakdown delays; one could argue
that the BR offset should be reduced by 0.5 mT but the existing setting did
work.
Rampdowns were quite consistent also. I wasn't keeping close track,
but I think the worst disruption was on rampdown, at IP = 360 KA.
The TF was disconnected from the fizzle detector for the test shots. We'd
planned to reconnect it after the first fizzle. As far as I know it's still
disconnected.

The major obective of the run -- scanning the He3 concentration -- was
achieved; evidence of heating was observed. The He3 knob was the
gas valve voltage; this seemed to work fairly well. An alternative approach
of adding the He3 valve to the NL controller was considered but not tried.
I suspect this would be a better way of doing the scan (by varying the He3
weight in the controller) since (presumably) excursions like the one on shot
22 wouldn't happen. I recommend that this be tried tomorrow.

Bob Granetz took over as physop at 4:00.

======== Log ==========

COLDSTART AT 7:45
There will be several test shots; test alternator mods, then a couple of
shots to gingerly bring up the TF current. These will all be plasma
attempts. The fizzle detector will be disabled for the TF only.

1 test, no plasma

2 fill 2.0e-5.
X-rays. Plasma current has a bite taken out.
Scatterplot against first 5 shots
yesterday is more or less an overlay.
raise fill to 2.5e-5 , raise early gas puff a little.
Alternator overvoltage trip.

3 Better. No xrays, current looks better.
raise TF. Set 170. Expect about 165 KA ==> about 6 T.

4. Plasma, breakdown looks nominal. Rampdown ok.
Breakdown during transition from high to low TF taps.
TF at t=0 is -153 ka. Should move tf start a few msec later,
but wait till after next.
Set 190 on tf, expect about 180. Should be near nominal 6.4 T.

5. Plasma, looks ok. TF current flattop at 183.3. Back off
setting to 188. Flattop reached at 500 msec instead of 400.
This is because transition to low tap is still at about
t=0. We apparently can't hold high taps beyond this point
due to alternator limitations. Therefore we need either to
accept TF flattop at .5 sec, or start TF earlier and fight the
startup battle. For now accept the flattop at .5 sec.
btor says -6.58

Drop ef2xef4 gain from 2.0 to 1.5 (it's oscillating)
Adjust NL programming (step up to 1.e20) and He3 puff (hold
it on at 35 v tp .9 sec).

6 Good shot. BTOR says 6.5 T.
Oscillation on ef2/ef4 gone.

Adjust nl programming a little.
Raise IP to 800 KA.
5 more msec argon.


7 Plasma. power supplies look OK (3000 A on ef2)

Tweaks to nl4 programming
5 more msec Ar.

8. Plasma. The drop in density at .8 was due to
preprogrammed v turning off there. Fixed that.


9. Plasma. Density trace flat(ter) now.
Raise helium voltage from 35 to 50.

10 plasma, disrupt at 360 ka. (slightly earlier than
it has been.)
Tweak rampdown slightly.
Adjust RF power also.

11 Plasma; disruption moved later. Tweak further.
Adjust RCUR to try to hold right gap constant.

12 that worked. Now adjust rt gap to 2 cm.
(move rcur 3 mm in.)

13 Plasma; ef2 u on current rail. Adjust clearin to (hopefully)
prevent that.

14 Plasma, ef2 better. RF requests sweep of rt
gap from 1.5 to 1 cm; adjust rcur to do that.

15 Plasma; ef2 looks much better.

Adjust rcur to hold outer gap at about 1.1-1.2 cm.
Small, delicate tweak of nl programming.

16 Plasma. Lump of crud fell in at 800 msec, but
plasma survives.

No changes except complain that Macpherson He signel gone.

17 Plasma

18 Plasma. Macphereson fixed.

Next shot, He 3 off. NL programming adjusted to
give same nel in H only.

19 Plasma. NL looks ok. There is still significant He3 from
walls; Mcpher signal down to 3 from 5 (arbs.)
Disable He3 again.

20 Plasma. mcpher down to 2.
Re-enable He3 valve; modify pulse_gas2 to give an intermediate
density -- less than shot 18.

21 Plasma.

Try to double He3 compared to shot 18.

22 Plasma, too much nl.
Adjust NL and He3 programming.

It looks like when the br at breakdown drifts up
the breakdown is delayed. (scatterplot, compared to yesterday.)

Bob Granetz takes over as physop.

23 Plasma, better density than last shot, but still a little too
much He3. Lower He3 for the next shot. RF arc'ed out early.

Joe Daigle adjusted the margin angle voltage on the OH2 supplies
from 6.5 to 7.5 (to make them rectify harder and invert harder)
after shot 23

24 Plasma. Good NL control. Again the RF didn't perform well.
Next shot: repeat with no changes, and hope RF works better.

25 Plasma. NL okay. RF worked this time. No changes for next
shot.

26 Plasma. RF worked. End of run.

Session Leader Comments
May 10 1995 08:42:38:760AM950510001Yuichi TakaseMP110A H-He3 Mode Conversion Heating (6.4T)
shot 001: test

May 10 1995 08:43:28:830AM950510002Yuichi Takaseshot 002: 5.3T, plasma (X-rays)

May 10 1995 09:11:37:420AM950510004Yuichi Takaseshot 004: 5.8T, nel_04=0.8e20 (RF on with modulation, no He3)

May 10 1995 10:32:19:560AM950510006Yuichi Takaseshot 006: 6.5T, nel_04=0.8->1.9->0.8 (nel prog step-up too early)
no E port

May 10 1995 10:53:43:870AM950510007Yuichi Takaseshot 007: 6.5T, nel_04=0.7->1.1->0.9 (nel prog step-up still too early)
E-port tripped

May 10 1995 11:43:36:080AM950510007Yuichi Takaseshot 007: 6.5T, 0.8MA
nel_04=0.7->1.1->0.9 (nel prog step-up still too early)
E-port tripped

May 10 1995 11:44:06:010AM950510008Yuichi Takaseshot 008: 6.5T, 0.8MA
nel_04=0.7->1.0->0.9
E-port tripped

May 10 1995 11:45:08:560AM950510009Yuichi Takaseshot 009: 6.5T, 0.8MA
nel_04=0.7->1.0 (density drop fixed)
D & E tripping
Heating moves off-axis with time

May 10 1995 05:53:26:230PM950510010Yuichi Takaseshot 010: 6.5T, 0.8MA
nel_04=0.7->1.0
He3 puff 90V 0.5-0.55sec, 50V 0.55-0.9sec
Heating stays on-axis
D & E tripping

May 10 1995 05:54:00:330PM950510011Yuichi Takaseshot 011: 6.5T, 0.8MA
nel_04=0.7->1.0
He3 puff 90V 0.5-0.55sec, 50V 0.55-0.9sec
D & E trippin

May 10 1995 05:54:26:980PM950510012Yuichi Takaseshot 012: 6.5T, 0.8MA
fixed outer gap excursion, R_gap=1.5cm

May 10 1995 05:54:45:950PM950510013Yuichi Takaseshot 013: 6.5T, 0.8MA
larger outer gap, R_gap=2.3cm

May 10 1995 05:55:06:600PM950510014Yuichi Takaseshot 014: 6.5T, 0.8MA
still having trouble running both antennas together (cross-talk)
E-port only this time

May 10 1995 05:55:25:550PM950510015Yuichi Takaseshot 015: 6.5T, 0.8MA
D-port only (giving up on two antenna operation for today)
R_gap=1.6->1.2cm

May 10 1995 05:55:43:080PM950510016Yuichi Takaseshot 016: 6.5T, 0.8MA
R_gap=1.3cm, P_D=0.5-1.5MW

May 10 1995 05:55:58:500PM950510017Yuichi Takaseshot 017: 6.5T, 0.8MA
same, McPherson not working for 15, 16, 17

May 10 1995 05:56:23:380PM950510018Yuichi Takaseshot 018: 6.5T, 0.8MA
start He3 scan
He3 puff 90V 0.5-0.55sec, 50V 0.55-0.9sec, HeII(304)=5, Te0(max)=2.5keV

May 10 1995 05:56:39:720PM950510019Yuichi Takaseshot 019: 6.5T, 0.8MA
no He3 puff, HeII(304)=3, Te0(max)=2.0keV

May 10 1995 05:56:57:760PM950510020Yuichi Takaseshot 020: 6.5T, 0.8MA
no He3 again, HeII(304)=2, Te0(max)=2.0keV

May 10 1995 05:57:12:610PM950510021Yuichi Takaseshot 021: 6.5T, 0.8MA
He3 90V 0.5-0.53sec, 40V 0.53-0.9sec, HeII(304)=3-4, Te0(max)=2.2keV

May 10 1995 05:57:38:340PM950510022Yuichi Takaseshot 022: 6.5T, 0.8MA
He3 90V 0.5-0.57sec, 60V 0.57-0.9sec, HeII(304)=4-11, Te0(max)=2.2keV
short RF

May 10 1995 05:58:02:820PM950510023Yuichi Takaseshot 023: 6.5T, 0.8MA
lowered initial density, He3 90V 0.5-0.57sec, 55V 0.57-0.9sec,
HeII(304)=5-8, no R

May 10 1995 05:58:42:060PM950510024Yuichi Takaseshot 024: 6.5T, 0.8MA
OH2 adjustment before this shot
He3 90V 0.5-0.57sec, 40V 0.57-0.9sec

May 10 1995 05:59:00:580PM950510025Yuichi Takaseshot 025: 6.5T, 0.8MA
same, some RF from D & E, HeII(304)=4, Te0(max)=3keV

May 10 1995 05:59:17:650PM950510026Yuichi Takaseshot 026: 6.5T, 0.8MA
same, D-port OK, HeII(304)=4, Te0(max)=3.0keV

Physics Operator Comments

Engineering Operator Comments
ShotTimeTypeStatusComment
108:18:15:540AMTestOktf current limit test
208:29:04:910AMPlasmaOkalt fault after shot
308:41:36:240AMPlasmaOk
408:54:45:240AMPlasmaOk
509:16:26:170AMPlasmaOk
610:10:57:630AMPlasmaOk
710:32:57:180AMPlasmaOk
810:54:44:080AMPlasmaOk
911:14:52:290AMPlasmaOk
1011:44:22:700AMPlasmaOk
1112:04:35:450PMPlasmaOk
1212:22:09:530PMPlasmaOk
1312:45:39:720PMPlasmaOk
1401:05:29:550PMPlasmaOk
1501:21:52:340PMPlasmaOkNo Faults.
1601:40:37:190PMPlasmaOkNo Faults
1702:03:18:650PMPlasmaOkNo Faults.
1802:19:52:530PMPlasmaOkNo Faults.
1902:41:49:750PMPlasmaOkNo Faults.
2003:03:02:140PMPlasmaOkNo Faults.
2103:19:34:860PMPlasmaOkNo Faults.
2203:36:45:230PMPlasmaOkNO Faults.
2303:59:30:340PMPlasmaOkNo Faults.
2404:16:37:350PMPlasmaOkNO Faults.
2504:33:41:360PMPlasmaOkNo Faults.
2604:51:29:840PMPlasmaOkNo Faults.