FIRE

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FIRE Overview
Dale Meade FIRE Physics Validation Review DOE
Germantown, MD March 30, 2004
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Topics to be Discussed

• NSO/FIRE Mission, Objectives
• Critical Issues for Burning plasma Experiment
• Status of FIRE and Progress since Snowmass
• Characteristics of FIRE
• Conventional Mode Operation
• Advanced Mode Operation
• Power Handling Approach
• Summary

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The Next Step Option (NSO) Activity
The purpose of the Next Step Options activity
is to investigate and assess various
opportunities for advancing the scientific
understanding of fusion energy, with emphasis on
plasma behavior at high energy gain and for long
duration. The Next Step Options (NSO) study has
been organized as a national integrated
physics/engineering design activity within the
Virtual Laboratory for Technology (VLT). The NSO
programs objective is to develop design options
and strategies for burning plasmas in the
restructured fusion sciences program, considering
the international context. Examples of specific
tasks to be pursued include investigation of a
modular program pathway, with initial emphasis on
the burning plasma module. The initial effort
has been focused on a design concept called the
Fusion Ignition Research Experiment (FIRE) that
includes both burning plasma physics and advanced
toroidal physics mission objectives. NSO-PAC
15 members, Chaired by Tony Taylor, 5 meetings,
last report attached FIRE effort evolved form
the US ITER Design Home Team,and involved gt15
institutions and gt50 individuals. FIRE has
been engaged in a PreConceptual design activity
at a budget of 2M/year with FY04 0.6M. The
PreConceptual design is to be completed in FY04.
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Charge to PVR Committee
Are the mission and objectives identified by
FIRE appropriate to answer the critical burning
plasma issues in a major next step experiment?
Is the proposed physical device sufficiently
capable and flexible to answer the critical
burning plasma issues proposed? What areas are
deficient and what remedies are recommended?
What areas need supporting RD from the base
program (experimental, theory and modeling)?
Agenda
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ARIES Economic Studies have Defined the Plasma
Requirements for an Attractive Fusion Power Plant
Plasma Exhaust Pheat/Rx 100MW/m Helium
Pumping Tritium Retention
High Power Gain Q 25 - 50 ntET 6x1021
m-3skeV Pa/Pheat fa 90
Plasma Control Fueling Current Drive RWM
Stabilization
High Power Density Pf/V 6 MW-3 10 atm Gn 4
MWm-2
Steady-State 90 Bootstrap
Significant advances are needed in each area. A
burning plasma should address the key plasma
issues for an attractive PP.
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The first part is to create and control a burning
plasma. Presidents Science Advisor to
NRC BPAC Nov 1992
Create and understand a controlled, self-heated,
burning starfire on earth. FESAC Key
Overarching Theme
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The overarching issue for a burning plasma is
whether a self-heated plasma with a
self-generated confining magnetic field can be
created and controlled.
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Advanced Toroidal Physics (100 Non-inductively
Driven AT-Mode) Q 5 as target, higher Q not
precluded fbs Ibs/Ip 80 as target,
ARIES-RS/AT90 bN 4.0, n 1 wall stabilized,
RWM feedback
Quasi-Stationary Burn Duration (use plasma time
scales) Pressure profile evolution and burn
control gt 10 tE Alpha ash accumulation/pumping gt
several tHe Plasma current profile evolution 2
to 5 tskin Divertor pumping and heat removal gt
many tdivertor First wall heat removal gt 1
tfirst-wall
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Fusion Ignition Research Experiment (FIRE)

• R 2.14 m, a 0.595 m
• B 10 T, ( 6.5 T, AT)
• Ip 7.7 MA, ( 5 MA, AT)
• PICRF 20 MW
• PLHCD 30 MW (Upgrade)
• Pfusion 150 MW
• Q 10, (5 - 10, AT)
• Burn time 20s (2 tCR - Hmode)
• 40s (lt 5 tCR - AT)
• Tokamak Cost 350M (FY02)
• Total Project Cost 1.2B (FY02)

1,400 tonne LN cooled coils
Mission to attain, explore, understand and
optimize magnetically-confined fusion-dominated
plasmas
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Characteristics of FIRE

• 40 scale model of ARIES-RS plasma
• Strong shaping kx 2, dx 0.7, DN
• All metal PFCs
• Actively cooled W divertor
• Be tile FW, cooled between shots
• T required/pulse TFTR 0.3g-T
• LN cooled BeCu/OFHC TF
• no inboard nt shield, allows small size
• 3,000 pulses _at_ full field
• 30,000 pulses _at_ 2/3 field
• 1 shot/hr _at_10T/20s/150 MW
• Site needs comparable to previous
• DT tokamaks (TFTR/JET).

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FIRE is Aims to Address Issues Related to an
Attractive PP
Modification of JT60-SC Figure
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FIRE Plasma Regimes
H-Mode AT(ss) ARIES-RS/AT R/a 3.6 3.6
4 B (T) 10 6.5 8 - 6 Ip (MA)
7.7 5 12.3-11.3 n/nG 0.7 0.85 1.7-0.85 H(
y,2) 1.1 1.2 1.7 0.9 - 1.4 bN 1.8
4.2 4.8 - 5.4 fbs , 25 77 88 -
91 Burn/tCR 2 3 - 5 steady
Operating Modes Elmy H-Mode Improved
H-Mode Hybrid Mode Two Freq ICRF ITB
Reversed Shear AT - steady-state (100 NI)
H-mode facilitated by dx 0.7, kx 2, n/nG
0.7, DN reduction of Elms.
AT mode facilitated by strong shaping, close
fitting wall and RWM coils.
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Snowmass Assessment of FIRE
H-mode confinement - OK (but uncertain)
Stabilization of NTMs in H-Mode needs more
study Elm/disruption power handling - both
ITER/FIRE Plasma pulse length H-mode same as
ITER(2tskin) AT mode 1tskin at Snowmass, now
up to 5tskin Diagnostics integration with
FW AT diagnostics (beam seeded) Magnet
insulation needs RD Reduce time between shots
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Snowmass on Confinement
There is confidence that ITER and FIRE will
achieve burning plasma performance in Hmode
based on an extensive experimental database.
Based on 0D and 1.5D modeling, all three devices
have baseline scenarios which appear capable of
reaching Q  5  15 with the advocates
assumptions. ITER and FIRE scenarios are based on
standard ELMing Hmode and are reasonable
extrapolations from the existing database. More
accurate prediction of fusion performance of the
three devices is not currently possible due to
known uncertainties in the transport models. An
ongoing effort within the base fusion science
program is underway to improve the projections
through increased understanding of transport.
Executive Summary
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FIRE Confinement is a Modest Extrapolation(x3)

• Tokamaks have established a basis for scaling
  confinement of the diverted H-Mode.
• BtE is the dimensionless metric for confinement
  time projection
• ntET is the dimensional metric for fusion
  - ntET
  bB2tE bB . BtE
• ARIES-RS Power Plants require BtE slightly
  larger than FIRE due high b and B.

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Since Snowmass Confinement Projections have
Improved
New two term scaling published by ITPA leads
to Q gt 10 for FIRE DEMO shot for FIRE (JET
52009)- q95 2.9, H(y,2) 1.2, bN 2.1, n/nGW
0.7, small sawteeth, no NTMs High
triangularity and modest n/nGW in existing
experiments continues to lead to increased
confinement relative to ITER98(y,2). C-Mod
experiments show slightly improved (10)
confinement for DN relative to SN plasmas.
Recent experiments with DIII-D Hybrid mode
project to Q 10 to 20
However need to strengthen data base for
non-rotating plasmas both beam heated and ICRF
only is confinement for all metal PFCs
different from carbon PFCs?
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Recent ITPA Results on Confinement
CDBM (Cordey et al) extended H-mode scaling to
a two term (core and pedestal model). IAEA FEC
2002 and Nucl. Fusion 43 No 8 (August 2003)
670-674
H(y, 2) 1.0 1.03 1.18 1.25 1.22 1.27
Q 9 10 15 25 22 26
ITER98(y,2) is pessimistic relative to b scans
in DIII-D and JET. A new scaling is being
evolving from ITPA CDBM March 8-11 meeting that
will reduce adverse b scaling (similar to
electrostatic gyro-Bohm model). Increased
pedestal pressure dependence on triangularity
(Sugihara-2003).
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FIRE-Like Discharge in JET without NTMs
n/nGW 0.75
q95 2.9
H(y,2) 1.2
bN 2.1
A good shot to test models.
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Creation and control of a Burning Plasma with
strong self-heating
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Simulation of a Standard H-mode in FIRE - TSC
CTM GLF23 m 1 sawtooth Model - Jardin et
al other effects to be added - Jardin et al
FIRE, the Movie
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An integrated burning plasma simulation
capability would be of great benefit to
Understand burning plasma phenomena based on
existing expts Refine the physics and
engineering design of a BP experiment
Provide a real time control algorithm for
self-driven burning plasma, and to optimize
experimental operation Analyze experimental
results and help transfer knowledge to other
magnetic configurations.
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Exhaust Type II ELMs occur with strong shaping

• database extended down to q95 ? 3.5
• closeness to DN necessary type II obtained in
  whole d-range
• accessible when DXp ? 0.02 m (0.35 ? d ? 0.5)
• stability analysis edge shear stabilises lower
  n, squeezes eigenfunction

Zohm IAEA 2002
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Pure Type-II ELMy phases achieved at high bpol in
the QDN configuration

• Type-II ELMs may be accessible at higher Ip with
  higher power to be done
• Not seen with lower single-null configuration at
  high ?pol QDN configuration may be necessary
  (although jedge was also different)

Type-II ELMs in JT-60U high-ßpol scheme
bpol.
Da
1.5 MA
1.2
Da
1.5 MA
1.3
1.35 MA

• ELMs get smaller with increasing ?pol and
  frequency/irregularity increases
• Te,ped and ne,ped remain high at high bpol not
  consistent with Type-III ELMs

Da
1.5
1.2 MA
Da
1.6
1.2 MA
Da
1.8
1.2
Te ped.(keV)
0.9
3.6
ne pedl, (x1019m-2)
2
Time (s)
19.60
19.65
19.75
Presentation to STAC
Jerome Pamela EFDA-CSU, 05 March
2004
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Alpha Particle Driven Instabilities in FIRE
Gorelenkov et al, Nuc Fus 43(2003) 594
Nominal H-Mode plasma case
NOVA-globally stable
HINST - locally unstable
Need to analyze alpha driven modes in FIRE and
ITER AT modes
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Steady-State High-b Advanced Tokamak Discharge
on FIRE
0 1 2
3 4
time,(current redistributions)
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q Profile is Steady-State During Flattop, t10 -
41s 3.2 tCR
Profile Overlaid every 2 s From 10s to 40s
li(3)0.42
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Application to ITER is also being studied as part
of ITPA.(IAEA paper)
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FIRE Plasma Technology Parameters
H-Mode AT(ss) ARIES-RS/AT R/a 3.6 3.6
4 B (T) 10 6.5 8 - 6 Ploss/Rx
(MW/m) 17 23 94 - 66 Prad-div (MWm-2)
5 lt 8 5 Prad-FW (MWm-2) 0.3 0.5
lt0.5 Pfusion (MWm-2) 5.5 5.5 6 - 5.3 Gn
(MWm-2) 2 2 4 - 3.3 Pn(MWm-3), VV 25
25 50 - 40
All Metal PFCs W divertor Be coated Cu
tiles FW Power Density ARIES divertor -
steady-state - water cooled, t 2s First wall
tiles - cooled between pulses t 40s
The FIRE divertor would be a significant step
toward an ARIES-like DEMO divertor.
FIRE AT pulse length is presently limited by
nuclear heating of the vacuum vessel.
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25 MW/m2
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Areas of Major FIRE Activities for the Near Term
Advanced Tokamak Modes (ARIES as
guide) (k, d, A, SN/DN, bN, fbs, ) - RWM
Stabilization - What is required and what is
feasible? - Integration of detached divertor
and Advanced Tokamak - Plasma Control (fast
position control, heating, current-drive,
fueling) High Power Density Handling -
Divertor RD High heat flux, low tritium
retention - First Wall and Vacuum Vessel for
high neutron wall loading Diagnostic
Development and Integration with First
Wall/fusion environment Integrated Simulation
of Burning Plasmas - exploration of
fusion-dominated plasmas (self organized?)
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Summary of Introduction
The FIRE mission and design is aimed toward
creating and controlling burning plasmas first
in conventional and then advanced modes. FIRE
is aimed to address nearly all the BP issues
associated with both H-mode and ARIES-like AT
modes. Progress has been made toward
addressing FIRE issues raised at Snowmass, more
examples in subsequent talks. Continuing
progress in tokamak research, and coordination by
the ITPA has strengthened the physics basis for
ITER and FIRE. Several areas of physics and
technology RD important for burning plasmas will
be identified in subsequent talks.