Speaker
Sun Hee Kim
Description
See the full Abstract at http://ocs.ciemat.es/EPS2018ABS/pdf/P1.1077.pdf
Assessment of the ITER baseline operation scenario using CORSICA
S.H. Kim1, T.A. Casper2, J.A. Snipes1 and A. Loarte1
1
ITER Organization, Route de Vinon sur Verdon - CS 90046,13067 St Paul-Lez-Durance
Cedex, France
2
Woodruff Scientific, Inc. 4000 Aurora Ave N. Ste. 6 Seattle, WA 98103 USA
The ITER baseline operation aims at demonstrating controlled burn of D-T plasmas in the
type-I ELMy H-mode regime and with a high fusion gain (Q~10). Improved physics
understanding and updated specifications of the ITER components are being continuously
integrated to develop more reliable candidate ITER baseline operation scenarios [1-4]. An
integrated modelling of the ITER baseline operation including entry to burn, flat-top burning
plasma, and exit from burn was previously performed using CORSICA [5-6] within relatively
narrow ranges of plasma parameters and operational conditions. In this work, the previously
proposed candidate ITER baseline operation scenarios have been further improved with
updated modelling features including the density evolution during the L-H transition, density
profile peaking, updated EC system configuration, improved edge pedestal evolution and
ramp-down shape optimization. Then, the feasibility of these scenarios has been investigated
across a range of plasma parameters and operational conditions to take into account the
modelling uncertainties. A set of comparative studies performed by varying assumptions of
the H-mode threshold power and triggering conditions has shown that reliable access to H-
mode would be possible across a wide range of density evolution time-scales during the L-H
transition, if the W concentration is kept below 1.0×10-5 and the isotopic mass dependence is
included in the Martin H-mode threshold power scaling [7]. Another set of studies on the flat-
top burning plasma performance conducted by varying the flat-top density, density profile
peaking factor, edge pedestal estimates and combination of the ITER HCD systems has
shown that Q~10 operation would be achievable with a moderate total auxiliary heating
power (~50MW). An optimization of the current ramp-up and ramp-down studied by applying
various HCD power waveforms has shown that early entry to burn puts the stress on the PF6
coil whereas late one reduces the poloidal flux available for the flat-top phase. The shape
optimization was important for the ramp-down phase to avoid exceeding the force limits on
the coils. The improved ITER baseline operation scenarios and analysis results presented in
this paper will be a good basis for further development as the understanding on the burning
plasma physics improves.
[1] Parail V et al 2013 Nucl. Fusion 53 113002
[2] Casper T A et al 2014 Nucl. Fusion 54 013005
[3] Kessel C E et al 2015 Nucl. Fusion 55 063038
[4] Koechel F et al 2017 Nucl. Fusion 57 086023
[5] Crotinger J A et al 1997 LLNL Report UCRL-ID-126284; NTIS #PB2005-102154.
[6] Kim S H et al, 42nd EPS conference on Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion, Lisbon, Portugal, 2015, ECA Vol.39,
P4-170
[7] Martin Y R et al 2008 Journal of Physics; Conference Series 123, 012033
