COntrol, Data Acquisition and Communication (CODAC) real-time software codes are key elements for the operation of a fusion device both for the machine protection and for the optimization of the ...experiments. In 2013, following the WEST (W -for tungsten- Environment Steady-state Tokamak) upgrade of Tore-Supra, the whole legacy acquisition system has been re-factored.
The WEST CODAC framework which inherited the older implementations used over 20 years on TORE Supra has been reorganized into primary software components corresponding to basic technical features, such as Database Access, Inter-process Communications, Real-time Device Management, Timing System Network, Finite-State Machine, and Shared Memory Network. In addition, a new modern middleware component named Westbox has been developed, to simplify developments for native diagnostic upgrades and cross-platform data acquisition hardware and software from guest collaborators.
•Technical upgrade of the former Tore Supra CODAC architecture.•Technical solution for improving performance and simplifying maintenance.•Maintain backward compatibility with former ...architecture.•Provide cost- and time-effective solution to maintain operation.
In 2013 Tore Supra limiter tokamak at CEA Cadarache went through major changes to become the WEST tokamak (Tungsten W Environment in Steady state Tokamak). The tokamak was upgraded into an X point divertor device. Taking advantage of its long discharge capability, WEST's goal is to minimize technological and operational risks of the actively cooled tungsten divertor for ITER.
At the same time, Control Data Access and Communication (CODAC) system has been redesigned in order to satisfy the performance and evolutions needed by researchers, and to facilitate maintenance and evolution for the CODAC team.
This paper describes the upgrade of the CODAC system from Tore Supra to WEST.
The WEST project has consisted in modifying the Tore Supra tokamak magnetic configuration to achieve X-point by adding divertor coils in the vacuum vessel and to test ITER-like plasma facing ...components. Major changes and significant developments have been performed on the measurement systems (diagnostics); the control, data access and communication; the plasma control system, and the actuators. To keep track of the software developments and step by step upgrade performed on any subsystem of the tokamak, a software quality management procedure has been implemented. This procedure consists also of a validation workflow ensuring that only validated version of the software are used during a plasma discharge. Such procedure is successfully used since 2 years.
In December 2016, the experimental Tokamak WEST (W -for Tungsten- Environment in Steady state Tokamak) has produced its first plasma using its new Plasma Control System (PCS) based on the AUG RT ...framework DCS (Discharge Control System) and adapted to the specific needs of WEST. Now, WEST project’s development phase ends and a first operational version is routinely used for experimental purpose.
The new WEST configuration of Tore Supra facility leads to control challenges and the need to handle events of a modern diverted and metallic machine (vertical stabilization, impurity control, …). To ...address them, a new Plasma Control System (PCS) has been built based on the ASDEX upgrade (AUG) real-time framework called DCS (Discharge Control System). This contribution summarizes the work done during the 5 years of the project from the definition of the PCS concepts to its operation during the WEST campaigns. The integration into the Tore Supra control infrastructure is detailed as well as the different real-time control processes. The efficiency and the versatility of the PCS are illustrated by several examples of plasma operation.
To operate advanced plasma scenario (long pulse with high stored energy) in present and future tokamak devices under safe operation conditions, the control requirements of the plasma control system ...(PCS) leads to the development of advanced feedback control and real time handling exceptions.
To develop these controllers and these exceptions handling strategies, a project aiming at setting up a flight simulator has started at CEA in 2009. Now, the new WEST (W Environment in Steady-state Tokamak) project deals with modifying Tore Supra into an ITER-like divertor tokamak. This upgrade impacts a lot of systems including Tore Supra PCS and is the opportunity to improve the current PCS architecture to implement the previous works and to fulfill the needs of modern tokamak operation.
This paper is dealing with the description of the architecture of WEST PCS. Firstly, the requirements will be presented including the needs of new concepts (segments configuration, alternative (or backup) scenario, …). Then, the conceptual design of the PCS will be described including the main components and their functions.
The third part will be dedicated to the proposal RT framework and to the technologies that we have to implement to reach the requirements.
•We propose an overview of the future control system of the Tore Supra in WEST configuration.•The control system will be based on DCS (Discharge Control System) of ASDEX Upgrade.•The Pulse Schedule ...Editor will be based on the experiment program editor of the future W7X facility.•The operation of this new system is illustrated by an example based on a simple plasma current/loop voltage control.
The configuration of the Tore Supra WEST project leads to control challenges and event handling close to those of ITER from a plasma scenario point of view (X-point configuration, H mode, long duration pulse) and from a machine protection point of view (metallic environment). Based on previous conceptual studies and to meet the WEST requirements, a sub-project will implement a new plasma control system (PCS) and a new pulse schedule editor (PSE). The main idea is to use a segment approach to describe the pulse scheduling with a full integration of event handling both on the PCS and on the PSE. After detailed specification work, it has been shown that the real-time framework called DCS (Discharge Control System) which is currently used on ASDEX upgrade fulfills the requirements and could be integrated into the WEST global control infrastructure. For the PSE, the Xedit tool, developed for the future W7X facility, has been chosen. This contribution will begin by a short explanation of the concepts proposed for the control of the plasma and the handling of events during the plasma discharge. Then it will focus on the new centralized architecture of the new Tore Supra PCS and an operating principle example showing the efficiency of the approach to handle normal and off-normal events. This later point will illustrate the required modifications of DCS and Xedit to fit with the Tore Supra Control infrastructure.
The operation of present day tokamak and future machine like ITER is more and more demanding in terms of plasma control both for increasing plasma performance, stability and ensuring machine ...protection. Additionally saving experimental time by validating the pre-programmed plasma scenario through a simulator is also of major importance. These issues highlight the necessity to build new tools such as a generic multipurpose plasma discharge flight simulator. Such a project has been recently started at CEA and is based on the integrated tokamak modeling task force formalism and simulation platform. The paper reports on the present status of the project, reviewing in particular the needs for new tool development, the architecture of the generic multipurpose tokamak plasma discharge flight simulator, with the different software/hardware interfaces. A first test case of this tool in the “full simulation” modes and using the European simulation platform is discussed.
The feedback control of fusion experiments in tokamak devices is entering a new area driven by the increase of control requirements for obtaining burning plasmas under safe operation conditions. A ...project aiming at setting up a flight simulator for the development of advanced controllers has started last year at CEA. This simulator will reuse most of the components of the European Integrated Tokamak Modelling (ITM) simulation platform. Thus, it will benefit from the development made by the task force and it will be able to offer a development platform for the new controllers of present day European tokamaks and future machines. This paper provides an overview of the architecture of the simulator. The functional specifications of the simulator have been defined and the needs in interface implementation are analysed as well.
The feedback control of fusion experiments in tokamak devices is entering a new area driven by the increase of control requirements for obtaining burning plasmas under safe operation conditions. A ...project aiming at setting up a flight simulator for the development of advanced controllers has recently started at CEA. This simulator reuses most of the components of the European integrated tokamak modelling (ITM) simulation platform. Thus, it benefits from the development made by the task force and it will be able to offer a development platform for the new controllers of present day European tokamaks and future machines. The paper will report on the different software developments performed in order to set up a flexible and user friendly design and test of feedback control loops.
PDF