Multi-harmonic electron cyclotron heating and current drive scenarios for non-inductive start-up and ramp-up in high field ST-40 spherical tokamak

Abstract

Abstract Non-inductive start-up and ramp-up is an important topic for spherical tokamak reactor design as the central solenoid implementation is highly restrictive particularly for the low-aspect-ratio tokamak configuration. In the high field spherical tokamak (ST), ST-40 with B T0 ⩽ 3 T, a preparation is underway for high power ECH and ECCD current start-up/ramp-up experiments utilizing two MW-class 140/105 GHz gyrotrons. Here, we explored various ECH/ECCD scenarios for a low-field-side (LFS) launch-angle steerable waveguide launcher placed near the mid-plane region. Due to the large toroidal field variation of ST configuration, multiple cyclotron harmonic resonance layers could exist within the plasma. In this start-up and ramp-up regime, both fundamental and second harmonic ECH resonances must be considered. We find that even with the presence of X-II resonance layer in the plasma, an efficient X-I ECH and ECCD regime can be accessed for the low electron temperature T e0 as low as 200 eV which is a typical starting temperature of ECH heated plasmas in an open-field-line configuration. The presence of X-II resonance could become significant at higher T e0 as X-II absorption increases with T e0 which could reduce the current ramp-up efficiency as the power reaching X-I is reduced. Finally for the pure X-I regime where the 2Ωe resonance is moved outside the plasma with B T0 ∼ 3.4 T, we find that it is possible to reach the full current of I p ∼ 1 MA fully non-inductively with the ECH power of ∼1 MW at n e0 ∼ 1.0 × 1019 m−3 using 105 GHz frequency gyrotron. By reducing the outer limiter position R L ∼ 78 cm to 70 cm, the pure X-I regime is recovered at the rated ST-40 magnetic field of B T0 ∼ 3.0 T. This X-I regime is accessible with a relatively broad range of launched n II or the launching angles. A survey of X-mode X-II ECH and ECCD at higher density regimes is also shown for completeness.