Integrated Kinetic-divertor Control During Entry to Burn in 1-D Simulations of ITER

The objective of burn control is to regulate volume-averaged, 0-D plasma properties, such as the overall fusion power. Due to the sensitivity between the plasma’s core and edge regions, burn-control objectives must be carefully balanced with divertor-control objectives, including the avoidance of high divertor heat loads. Furthermore, transitional dynamics, such as the entry to burn and H-mode, make control more challenging. In [1], a divertor-safe burn controller was synthesized from a 0-D model that coupled the plasma’s core and edge regions. Ahead of experimental implementation, model-based control algorithms derived from 0-D plasma models should be assessed in 1-D simulations. Therefore, this work presents a 1-D plasma model that couples transport equations for the core-plasma’s density and temperature with SOLPS4.3 parameterizations of ITER [2]. These parameterizations define edge-plasma conditions in terms of core and external inputs, specifically providing separatrix boundary conditions for the core-transport model along with the divertor heat load. Using this 1-D model, kinetic-divertor control during entry to burn, flattop, and exit from burn is investigated.



[1] V. Graber and E. Schuster 2024 Nucl. Fusion 64 086007.



[2] H.D. Pacher et. al. 2015 J. Nucl. Mater. 463 591–595.