Modeling the Turbulent Momentum Transport in Tokamak Plasmas

Modeling the Turbulent Momentum Transport in Tokamak Plasmas
Author: Pierre Cottier
Publisher: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2014-04-01
Genre:
ISBN: 9783659411038

The magnetic confinement in tokamaks is for now the most advanced way towards energy production by nuclear fusion. Both theoretical and experimental studies showed that rotation generation can increase its performance by reducing the turbulent transport in tokamak plasmas. The rotation influence on the heat and particle fluxes is studied along with the angular momentum transport with the quasi-linear gyro-kinetic eigenvalue code QuaLiKiz. For this purpose, the QuaLiKiz code is modified in order to take the plasma rotation into account and compute the angular momentum flux. It is shown that QuaLiKiz framework is able to correctly predict the angular momentum flux including the ExB shear induced residual stress as well as the influence of rotation on the heat and particle fluxes. The different contributions to the turbulent momentum flux are studied and successfully compared against both non-linear gyro-kinetic simulations and experimental data.

Transport Analysis in Tokamak Plasmas

Transport Analysis in Tokamak Plasmas
Author: Sara Moradi
Publisher: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing
Total Pages: 168
Release: 2010-08
Genre:
ISBN: 9783838326566

One of the least understood areas of the plasma particle or heat transport is the turbulent transport. In this work the main focus is on the development and data analysis of anomalous transport characteristics (transport coefficients and fluxes) under fusion conditions in large tokamaks. Fluid and gyro-kinetic models are used and obtained results are compared. A model based on fractional kinetics for the study of the SOL turbulent transport characteristics, where non-Gaussian PDFs are observed, is developed.

Gyrokinetic Studies of Particle Transport in Tokamaks

Gyrokinetic Studies of Particle Transport in Tokamaks
Author: Carlos Andres Estrada-Mila
Publisher:
Total Pages: 113
Release: 2006
Genre:
ISBN:

In this dissertation a systematic study of particle transport in tokamaks, using gyrokinetic simulations and theory, is presented. This work can be divided into three major parts. The first part studies particle transport in pure plasmas and investigates the origin and nature of flows against density gradients, also known as particle pinches. It is found that these pinches, which are primarily driven by temperature gradients, can also be responsible for the density peaking observed in experiments such as ASDEX-U, DIII-D or JET. The second part of this work studies plasmas with multiple ion species. First, we study helium ash transport and its effects in the core of a reactor plasma, finding that a helium pinch driven by finite toroidicity can be created in some cases. Second, we study deuterium and tritium plasmas from the point of view of isotope flow separation, finding that in a 50-50 deuterium-tritium plasma, a small fuel separation may occur. Finally, the last part studies the behavior of energetic species in reactor plasmas. It is found that alpha particles interact strongly with the background turbulence. Perhaps the most surprising finding is that the fluxes per particle of alphas can be stronger than the fluxes per particle of deuterium (i.e. main ion), as opposed to ``conventional wisdom'' which assumes that species with large gyroradii do not significantly interact with the turbulence.

Gyrokinetic Simulation of Global Turbulent Transport Properties in Tokamak Experiments

Gyrokinetic Simulation of Global Turbulent Transport Properties in Tokamak Experiments
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 92505
Release: 2006
Genre:
ISBN:

A general geometry gyro-kinetic model for particle simulation of plasma turbulence in tokamak experiments is described. It incorporates the comprehensive influence of noncircular cross section, realistic plasma profiles, plasma rotation, neoclassical (equilibrium) electric fields, and Coulomb collisions. An interesting result of global turbulence development in a shaped tokamak plasma is presented with regard to nonlinear turbulence spreading into the linearly stable region. The mutual interaction between turbulence and zonal flows in collisionless plasmas is studied with a focus on identifying possible nonlinear saturation mechanisms for zonal flows. A bursting temporal behavior with a period longer than the geodesic acoustic oscillation period is observed even in a collisionless system. Our simulation results suggest that the zonal flows can drive turbulence. However, this process is too weak to be an effective zonal flow saturation mechanism.

ADVANCES IN COMPREHENSIVE GYROKINETIC SIMULATIONS OF TRANSPORT IN TOKAMAKS.

ADVANCES IN COMPREHENSIVE GYROKINETIC SIMULATIONS OF TRANSPORT IN TOKAMAKS.
Author: R. E. WALTZ
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2004
Genre:
ISBN:

A continuum global gyrokinetic code GYRO has been developed to comprehensively simulate core turbulent transport in actual experimental profiles and enable direct quantitative comparisons to the experimental transport flows. GYRO not only treats the now standard ion temperature gradient (ITG) mode turbulence, but also treats trapped and passing electrons with collisions and finite {beta}, equilibrium ExB shear stabilization, and all in real tokamak geometry. Most importantly the code operates at finite relative gyroradius ({rho}{sub *}) so as to treat the profile shear stabilization and nonlocal effects which can break gyroBohm scaling. The code operates in either a cyclic flux-tube limit (which allows only gyroBohm scaling) or globally with physical profile variation. Bohm scaling of DIII-D L-mode has been simulated with power flows matching experiment within error bars on the ion temperature gradient. Mechanisms for broken gyroBohm scaling, neoclassical ion flows embedded in turbulence, turbulent dynamos and profile corrugations, are illustrated.

Advances in Comprehensive Gyrokinetic Simulations of Transport in Tokamaks

Advances in Comprehensive Gyrokinetic Simulations of Transport in Tokamaks
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2004
Genre:
ISBN:

A continuum global gyrokinetic code GYRO has been developed to comprehensively simulate core turbulent transport in actual experimental profiles and enable direct quantitative comparisons to the experimental transport flows. GYRO not only treats the now standard ion temperature gradient (ITG) mode turbulence, but also treats trapped and passing electrons with collisions and finite [beta], equilibrium ExB shear stabilization, and all in real tokamak geometry. Most importantly the code operates at finite relative gyroradius ([rho]{sub *}) so as to treat the profile shear stabilization and nonlocal effects which can break gyroBohm scaling. The code operates in either a cyclic flux-tube limit (which allows only gyroBohm scaling) or a globally with physical profile variation. Rohm scaling of DIII-D L-mode has been simulated with power flows matching experiment within error bars on the ion temperature gradient. Mechanisms for broken gyroBohm scaling, neoclassical ion flows embedded in turbulence, turbulent dynamos and profile corrugations, plasma pinches and impurity flow, and simulations at fixed flow rather than fixed gradient are illustrated and discussed.