The deuterium experiment started from March 2017 on the large helical device (LHD) as a part of the LHD high-performance upgrade project. The objectives of the deuterium experiment are: 1) to realize ...the high-performance operation; 2) to explore the physics of isotope effect; 3) to demonstrate the confinement capability of energetic particles in helical devices; and 4) to explore the research on plasma-material interactions using the benefit of stable steady-state operation ability of LHD. As preparations for deuterium experiment, the positive-ion-based neutral beam injectors (NBIs) are upgraded to increase their injection power in deuterium operation. On the other hand, the injection power of negative-ion-based NBI is deteriorated due to the isotope effect of negative-ion source. The neutron diagnostic and the exhaust detritiation system are newly installed for the deuterium experiment. The commissioning of LHD for the deuterium experiment is quite successful. The high ion temperature operation region is extended by the deuterium experiment. Ion temperature exceeding 9 keV is achieved with the deuterium operation of LHD.
The global flux distributions for thermal, epithermal and fast neutrons in the torus hall of large fusion devices were experimentally evaluated for the first time in the Large Helical Device (LHD) ...using the activation foil method measured by the imaging plate and high-purity germanium detector. It turned out that the thermal neutrons were effectively absorbed by borated polyethylene blocks placed beneath the LHD. This should reduce the radioactivity of the floor and would be beneficial in maintaining a good environment for radiation workers. Uniform distributions of epithermal and fast neutrons were observed near the LHD. In particular, the significant decrease in fast neutron flux with increasing distance from the LHD, due to the fast energy loss of fast neutrons, was observed. The neutron flux distribution measurement, with rough energy discrimination based on the threshold energy of the neutron activation foil, allows us to estimate the spatial radiation dose rate, as well as the radioactivity in components in the torus hall. The prediction of the radioactivity in the concrete floor indicated that radioactive isotope 55Fe will be a dominant source of radioactivity in the concrete after the nine-year deuterium experiment campaign finishes.
We have recently incorporated the occupation probability formalism (OPF) in the simulation model C. Stehlé and S. Jacquemot, Astron. Astrophys. 271, 348 (1993) to have a smooth transition from ...discrete lines to continuum spectrum in the wavelength range near the Balmer series limit. We have analyzed spectra measured for the hydrogen pellet ablation cloud in the Large Helical Device with the revised model, and have found that the electron density in the ablation cloud has a close correlation with the electron temperature of the background plasma. This type of correlation is first confirmed in the present analysis and should give a new insight in the simulation studies of pellet ablation for the magnetically confined fusion plasma.
We simultaneously measured the electron temperature (Te) and electron density (ne) using a low-dispersion near-infrared spectrometer in a small-size pellet ablation cloud in Heliotron J, a ...medium-sized helical-axis heliotron device. We applied the intensity ratio of the Paschen-α, β, γ and to determine Te based on the collisional-radiative model, which was fairly consistent with the partial local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) in the upper principal quantum numbers of 4, 5, and 6. For a typical pellet injection discharge, Te and ne were determined to be 0.9 eV and 4 × 1021 m－3, respectively. Our derived generalized empirical calibration curve demonstrates a weak influence of Te on ne evaluation, particularly in the range of 0.4 - 2.0 eV. Subsequently, we determined the region where the LTE is achieved for the Paschen series.
In the Large Helical Device, the divertor detachment has been attempted by application of resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) field and Ne gas puffing in electron cyclotron resonance- heated ...discharges for compatibility of high central electron temperature and low divertor heat load. Two kinds of divertor detachment phases were observed. The first one appeared transiently just after the Ne gas puffing (1st detachment), and the second one appeared steadily in the latter half of the discharge (2nd detachment). Space-resolved extreme ultraviolet spectroscopy revealed that NeVI-NeVIII emissions increased slightly outside the last closed flux surface (LCFS), while NeIX and NeX emissions increased inside the LCFS in the 1st detachment phase. Although in the 1st detachment the divertor heat load was significantly reduced, the central electron temperature also decreased because the Ne ions were penetrated inside the LCFS as a radiation source. In the 2nd detachment phase, NeVINeVIII emissions increased outside the LCFS while NeIX and NeX emissions kept low intensity inside the LCFS. In this phase, low divertor heat load and high central electron temperature were obtained simultaneously because the Ne ions were localized outside the LCFS as a radiation source. The profile measurements of Ne emission show that the edge island structure created by the RMP application impacts on the impurity emission distribution, where the peak of the emission shifts radially stepwise as the detachment proceeds.
A spectroscopic method for spatial resolution measurement in fuel pellet ablation clouds is being developed in the Large Helical Device (LHD). Spatial resolution is obtained thanks to optics that ...have a narrow, band-shaped field-of-view. The Stark-broadened Hβ emission line of a deuterium pellet ablation cloud is isolated and analyzed with a spectral lineshape code. The electron density profile of the ablation cloud along its direction of elongation is derived through least squares fitting. The obtained profile is peaked and has a dip at its center which confirms what can be found in simulations. Moreover, the order of magnitudes for the derived electron densities are in agreement with what has already been found in the LHD.
We report the observation of arcing damage on the diagnostic shutter during the glow discharge wall conditioning in LHD. The diagnostic system has no experience of plasma discharge produced by ...electron or ion cyclotron resonance heating or neutral beam injection. The arc trails were observed on the aluminum surface but not on the stainless steel although both materials were exposed to the glow discharge with the same duration. The difference in work functions between two materials may be a cause to divide the conditions of arcing ignition.
A predictor model of radiative collapse of stellarator-heliotron plasmas has been developed by means of a machine learning technique and the feature of radiative collapse has been extracted with ...sparse modeling. The dataset used for training the model is constructed based on density ramp-up experiments in the Large Helical Device. As a result of feature extraction, the line averaged electron density, visible line emissions of CIV and OV, and the electron temperature at the edge have been selected as key parameters of radiative collapse. The likelihood of occurrence of radiative collapse has been quantified by using these parameters and this likelihood has been assessed in terms of predicting capability of the occurrence of radiative collapse. The collapse likelihood also implies the underlying physics of radiative collapse, therefore, the knowledge obtained by this data-driven study is expected to facilitate elucidation of the physics of the radiative collapse. In validation with discharges outside of the dataset, the predictor based on the likelihood has predicted over 85% of radiative collapse about 100 ms prior to this event on average while about 5% of stable discharges have been detected falsely as collapse discharges. The discharges in which the predictor made faults are discussed in order to investigate the cause of failure.
A radiative collapse predictor has been developed using a machine-learning model with high-density plasma experiments in the Large Helical Device (LHD). The model is based on the collapse likelihood, ...which is quantified by the parameters selected by the sparse modeling, including ne, CIV, OV, and Te,edge. The control system implementing this model has been constructed with a single-board computer to apply this predictor model to the LHD experiment. The controller calculates the collapse likelihood and regulates gas-puff fueling and boosts electron cyclotron resonance heating in real-time. In density ramp-up experiments with hydrogen plasma, high-density plasma has been maintained by the control system while avoiding radiative collapse. This result has shown that the predictor based on the collapse likelihood has the capability to predict a radiative collapse in real-time.
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