FEEDBACK-CONTROL MODELING OF PLASMA POSITION AND CURRENT DURING INTENSE HEATING IN ISX-B

The ISX-B tokamak at ORNL is designed to have 1.8 MW (and eventually 3 MW) of neutral beam power injected to heat the plasma. This power may raise the β̅ of the plasma to over 5 percent in less than 50 ms, if the plasma is MHD stable. The results of a numerical simulation of the feedback control system and poloidal coil power supplies necessary to control the resulting noncircular (D-shaped or elliptical) plasma are presented. The resulting feedback control system is shown to be straightforward, although nonlinear voltage-current dependence is assumed in the power supplies. The required power supplied to the poloidal coils in order to contain the plasma under the high heating rates is estimated. Copyright © 1979 by The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.