Plasma control system for "Day-One" operation of KSTAR tokamak

A complete plasma control system (PCS) has been developed for KSTAR's first plasma campaign as a collaborative project with the DIII-D team. The KSTAR real time plasma control system is based on a conceptual design by Jhang and Choi [Hogun Jhang, I.S. Choi, Fusion Engineering and Design 73 (2005) 35-49] and consists of a fast real-time computer/communication cluster and software derived from the GA-PCS [Penaflor, B.G., et.al., Fusion Engineering and Design, 83 (2) (2008) 176]. The system has been used for simulation testing, poloidal field (PF) coil power supply commissioning and first plasma control. The seven sets of up-down symmetric, superconducting PF coil/power supply systems have been successfully tested. Reflective memory (RFM) is utilized as the primary actuator/PCS real-time communication layer and PCS synchronization with KSTAR timing system and slower control devices is achieved through an EPICS implementation. Consistent feedback loop times of 100 microseconds has been achieved during PF coil power supply testing and first plasma commissioning. Here we present the "Day-One" plasma control system in its final form for the first plasma experimental campaign of KSTAR and describe how the system has been utilized during magnet commissioning and plasma startup experiments. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.