中国物理B ›› 2009, Vol. 18 ›› Issue (6): 2432-2440.doi: 10.1088/1674-1056/18/6/052

• • 上一篇    下一篇

The stability margin on EAST tokamak

D.A.Humphreys2, 钱金平3, 万宝年3, 沈彪3, 肖炳甲3   

  • 收稿日期:2008-06-07 修回日期:2008-10-23 出版日期:2009-06-20 发布日期:2009-06-20
  • 基金资助:
    Project supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos 10725523 and 10835009).

The stability margin on EAST tokamak

Qian Jin-Ping(钱金平)a), Wan Bao-Nian(万宝年)a), Shen Biao(沈彪)a), M.L. Walkerb), D.A. Humphreysb), and Xiao Bing-Jia(肖炳甲)a)   

  1. Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China; General Atomics, San Diego, California, USA
  • Received:2008-06-07 Revised:2008-10-23 Online:2009-06-20 Published:2009-06-20
  • Supported by:
    Project supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos 10725523 and 10835009).

摘要: The experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST) is the first full superconducting tokamak with a D-shaped cross-sectional plasma presently in operation. Its poloidal coils are relatively far from the plasma due to the necessary thermal isolation from the superconducting magnets, which leads to relatively weaker coupling between plasma and poloidal field. This may cause more difficulties in controlling the vertical instability by using the poloidal coils. The measured growth rates of vertical stability are compared with theoretical calculations, based on a rigid plasma model. Poloidal beta and internal inductance are varied to investigate their effects on the stability margin by changing the values of parameters α n and γ n(Howl et al 1992 Phys. Fluids B4 1724), with plasma shape fixed to be a configuration with k = 1.9 and δ = 0.5. A number of ways of studying the stability margin are investigated. Among them, changing the values of parameters к and li is shown to be the most effective way to increase the stability margin. Finally, a guideline of stability margin Ms (к ,li ,A) to a new discharge scenario showing whether plasmas can be stabilized is also presented in this paper.

关键词: vertical instability, growth rate, stability margin

Abstract: The experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST) is the first full superconducting tokamak with a D-shaped cross-sectional plasma presently in operation. Its poloidal coils are relatively far from the plasma due to the  necessary thermal isolation from the superconducting magnets, which leads to relatively weaker coupling between plasma and poloidal field. This may cause more difficulties in controlling the vertical instability by using the  poloidal coils. The measured growth rates of vertical stability are compared with theoretical calculations, based on a rigid plasma model. Poloidal beta and internal inductance are varied to investigate their effects on the  stability margin by changing the values of parameters $\alpha _n$ and $\gamma _n$(Howl et al1992 Phys. Fluids B 4 1724), with plasma shape fixed to be a configuration with $k = 1.9$ and $\delta = 0.5$. A  number of ways of studying the stability margin are investigated. Among them, changing the values of parameters $\kappa$ and $l_i$ is shown to be the most effective way to increase the stability margin. Finally, a guideline of stability margin $M_s (\kappa ,l_i ,A)$ to a new discharge scenario showing whether plasmas can be stabilized is also presented in this paper.

Key words: vertical instability, growth rate, stability margin

中图分类号:  (Tokamaks, spherical tokamaks)

  • 52.55.Fa
28.52.Av (Theory, design, and computerized simulation) 52.35.Py (Macroinstabilities (hydromagnetic, e.g., kink, fire-hose, mirror, ballooning, tearing, trapped-particle, flute, Rayleigh-Taylor, etc.)) 52.75.-d (Plasma devices) 84.71.Ba (Superconducting magnets; magnetic levitation devices)