Improved dynamic response of magnetic feedback in RFX-mod and DIII-D

Abstract

The wall of any magnetic fusion device is characterized by the presence of several 3D structures, such as portholes for diagnostics and for heating and current drive systems, coil feeds and other features. Time-varying magnetic fields induce eddy currents in the wall, whose pattern is modified by these structures, giving rise to magnetic field errors that can be amplified or shielded by the plasma. Two examples will be given on how the dynamic response of a 3D wall to external magnetic fields can be identified and used to optimize magnetic feedback. In the RFX-mod reversed-field pinch, a dynamic decoupler algorithm has been developed, which allows for the production of pure radial magnetic field harmonics inside the wall, reducing the harmonic distortion due to the 3D wall structures. This is applied here to the problem of producing helical boundary conditions to control helical RFP equilibria. In the DIII-D tokamak, a frequency-dependent scheme for the compensation of the magnetic sensors from spurious n = 1 fields due to the coupling with the feedback and axisymmetric coils has been recently implemented in real time and tested with plasma. The possible relevance of these 3D effects for high performance scenarios is discussed.