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Osborne, T H

Publications and source records attributed to Osborne, T H.

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

ELM elimination with Li powder injection in EAST discharges using the tungsten upper divertor

We report the first successful use of lithium (Li) to eliminate edge-localized modes (ELMs) with tungsten divertor plasma-facing components in the EAST device. Li powder injected into the scrape-off layer of the tungsten upper divertor successfully eliminated ELMs for 3-5 sec in EAST. The ELM elimination became progressively more effective in consecutive discharges at constant lithium delivery rates, and the divertor D-alpha baseline emission was reduced, both signatures of improved wall conditioning. A modest decrease in stored energy and normalized energy confinement was also observed, but the confinement relative to H98 remained well above 1, extending the previous ELM elimination results via Li injection into the lower carbon divertor in EAST [J.S. Hu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 114 (2015) 055001]. These results can be compared with recent observations with lithium pellets in ASDEX-Upgrade that failed to mitigate ELMs [P.T. Lang et al., Nucl. Fusion 57 (2017) 016030], highlighting one comparative advantage of continuous powder injection for real-time ELM elimination.

Recycling↗
DOE OSTI2014

Dependence of Recycling and Edge Profiles on Lithium Evaporation in High Triangularity, High Performance NSTX H-mode Discharges

In this paper, the effects of a pre-discharge lithium evaporation scan on highly shaped discharges in the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) are documented. Lithium wall conditioning ('dose') was routinely applied onto graphite plasma facing components between discharges in NSTX, partly to reduce recycling. Reduced D[sub]α emission from the lower and upper divertor and center stack was observed, as well as reduced midplane neutral pressure; the magnitude of reduction increased with the pre-discharge lithium dose. Improved energy confinement, both raw τ[sub]E and H-factor normalized to scalings, with increasing lithium dose was also observed. At the highest doses, we also observed elimination of edge-localized modes. The midplane edge plasma profiles were dramatically altered, comparable to lithium dose scans at lower shaping, where the strike point was farther from the lithium deposition centroid. This indicates that the benefits of lithium conditioning should apply to the highly shaped plasmas planned in NSTX-U.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Reactor-relevant quiescent H-mode operation using torque from non-axisymmetric, non-resonant magnetic fields

Results from recent experiments demonstrate that quiescent H-mode (QH-mode) sustained by magnetic torque from non-axisymmetric magnetic fields is a promising operating mode for future burning plasmas. Using magnetic torque from n=3 fields to replace counter-I{sub p} torque from neutral beam injection (NBI), we have achieved long duration, counter-rotating QH-mode operation with NBI torque ranging from counter-I{sub p} to up to co-I{sub p} values of 1-1.3 Nm. This co-I{sub p} torque is 3 to 4 times the scaled torque that ITER will have. These experiments utilized an ITER-relevant lower single-null plasma shape and were done with ITER-relevant values of {nu}{sub ped}{sup *} and {beta}{sub N}{sup ped}. These discharges exhibited confinement quality H{sub 98y2}=1.3, in the range required for ITER. In preliminary experiments using n=3 fields only from a coil outside the toroidal coil, QH-mode plasmas with low q{sub 95}=3.4 have reached fusion gain values of G={beta}{sub N}H{sub 89}/q{sub 95}{sup 2}=0.4, which is the desired value for ITER. Shots with the same coil configuration also operated with net zero NBI torque. The limits on G and co-I{sub p} torque have not yet been established for this coil configuration. QH-mode work to has made significant contact with theory. The importance of edge rotational shear is consistent with peeling-ballooning mode theory. Qualitative and quantitative agreements with the predicted neoclassical toroidal viscosity torque is seen.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

The EPED pedestal model and edge localized mode-suppressed regimes: Studies of quiescent H-mode and development of a model for edge localized mode suppression via resonant magnetic perturbations

The EPED model predicts the H-mode pedestal height and width based upon two fundamental and calculable constraints: (1) onset of non-local peeling-ballooning modes at low to intermediate mode number, (2) onset of nearly local kinetic ballooning modes at high mode number. We present detailed tests of the EPED model in discharges with edge localized modes (ELMs), employing new high resolution measurements, and finding good quantitative agreement across a range of parameters. The EPED model is then applied for the first time to quiescent H-mode (QH), finding a similar level of agreement between predicted and observed pedestal height and width, and suggesting that the model can be used to predict the critical density for QH-mode operation. Finally, the model is applied toward understanding the suppression of ELMs with 3D resonant magnetic perturbations (RMP). Combining EPED with plasma response physics, a new working model for RMP ELM suppression is developed. We propose that ELMs are suppressed when a 'wall' associated with the RMP blocks the inward penetration of the edge transport barrier. A calculation of the required location of this 'wall' with EPED is consistent with observed profile changes during RMP ELM suppression and offers an explanation for the observed dependence on safety factor (q{sub 95}).

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Analysis of a multi-machine database on divertor heat fluxes

A coordinated effort to measure divertor heat flux characteristics in fully attached, similarly shaped H-mode plasmas on C-Mod, DIII-D, and NSTX was carried out in 2010 in order to construct a predictive scaling relation applicable to next step devices including ITER, FNSF, and DEMO. Few published scaling laws are available and those that have been published were obtained under widely varying conditions and divertor geometries, leading to conflicting predictions for this critically important quantity. This study was designed to overcome these deficiencies. Analysis of the combined data set reveals that the primary dependence of the parallel heat flux width is robustly inverse with I{sub p}, which all three tokamaks independently demonstrate. An improved Thomson scattering system on DIII-D has yielded very accurate scrape off layer (SOL) profile measurements from which tests of parallel transport models have been made. It is found that a flux-limited model agrees best with the data at all collisionalities, while a Spitzer resistivity model agrees at higher collisionality where it is more valid. The SOL profile measurements and divertor heat flux scaling are consistent with a heuristic drift based model as well as a critical gradient model.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2011

Deconvolution of Thomson scattering temperature profiles

Deconvolution of Thomson scattering (TS) profiles is required when the gradient length of the electron temperature (T{sub e}) or density (n{sub e}) are comparable to the instrument function length ({Delta}{sub R}). The most correct method for deconvolution to obtain underlying T{sub e} and n{sub e} profiles is by consideration of scattered signals. However, deconvolution at the scattered signal level is complex since it requires knowledge of all spectral and absolute calibration data. In this paper a simple technique is presented where only knowledge of the instrument function I(r) and the measured profiles, T{sub e,observed}(r) and n{sub e,observed}(r), are required to obtain underlying T{sub e}(r) and n{sub e}(r). This method is appropriate for most TS systems and is particularly important where high spatial sampling is obtained relative to {Delta}{sub R}.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2011

Pedestal density fluctuation dynamics during the inter-ELM cycle in DIII-D

Detailed 2D measurements of long-wavelength density fluctuations in the pedestal region with beam emission spectroscopy during the period between edge localized modes (ELMs) indicate two distinct bands of fluctuations propagating in opposite poloidal directions in the plasma frame: one lower frequency band (50-150 kHz) advects in the ion-diamagnetic drift direction (ion mode) and a higher frequency band (200-400 kHz) advects in the electron diamagnetic drift direction (electron mode). The ion mode amplitude is modulated with the ELM cycle: it increases rapidly after an ELM and then saturates, similar to the evolution of the pedestal electron pressure and density gradients. The electron mode, in contrast, has no significant time evolution between ELMs. The decorrelation time of the ion mode is <5 {mu}s[{tau}{sub c}(c{sub s}/c{sub s}aa){<=}1], the radial correlation length is of order 10 {rho}{sub i} and has poloidal wave-number k{sub {theta}{rho}i{approx}}0.1, and the mode advects at near the ion diamagnetic velocity in the plasma frame. These spatiotemporal dynamics are qualitatively similar to features predicted for kinetic ballooning modes.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2011

Edge transport and turbulence reduction with lithium coated plasma facing components in the National Spherical Torus Experiment

The coating of plasma facing components (PFCs) with lithium improves energy confinement and eliminates ELMs in the National Spherical Torus Experiment, the latter due to a relaxation of the density and pressure profiles that reduces the drive for peeling-ballooning modes. 2-D interpretive transport modeling of discharges without and with lithium shows that a reduction in the PFC recycling coefficient from R {approx} 0.98 to R {approx} 0.90 is required to match the drop in D{sub {alpha}} emission with lithium coatings. A broadening of the edge barrier region showing reduced transport coefficients is observed, with a {approx}75% drop of the D and {chi}{sub e} from 0.8 < {psi}{sub N} < 0.93 needed to match the profile relaxation with lithium coatings. Turbulence measurements using an edge reflectometry system as well as high-k microwave scattering show a decrease in density fluctuations with lithium coatings. These transport changes allow the realization of very wide pedestals, with a {approx}100% width increase relative to the reference discharges.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2011

H-mode pedestal scaling in DIII-D, ASDEX Upgrade, and JET

Multidevice pedestal scaling experiments in the DIII-D, ASDEX Upgrade (AUG), and JET tokamaks are presented in order to test two plasma physics pedestal width models. The first model proposes a scaling of the pedestal width {Delta}/a {proportional_to} {rho}*{sup 1/2} to {rho}* based on the radial extent of the pedestal being set by the point where the linear turbulence growth rate exceeds the ExB velocity. In the multidevice experiment where {rho}* at the pedestal top was varied by a factor of four while other dimensionless parameters where kept fixed, it has been observed that the temperature pedestal width in real space coordinates scales with machine size, and that therefore the gyroradius scaling suggested by the model is not supported by the experiments. The density pedestal width is not invariant with {rho}* which after comparison with a simple neutral fuelling model may be attributed to variations in the neutral fuelling patterns. The second model, EPED1, is based on kinetic ballooning modes setting the limit of the radial extent of the pedestal region and leads to {Delta}{sub {psi} {proportional_to}} {beta}{sub p}{sup 1/2}. All three devices show a scaling of the pedestal width in normalised poloidal flux as {Delta}{sub {psi} {proportional_to}} {beta}{sub p}{sup 1/2}, as described by the kinetic ballooning model; however, on JET and AUG, this could not be distinguished from an interpretation where the pedestal is fixed in real space. Pedestal data from all three devices have been compared with the predictive pedestal model EPED1 and the model produces pedestal height values that match the experimental data well.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗