[Table of Contents]

Plasma and Fusion Research

Volume 7, 2402112 (2012)

Regular Articles

ECW/EBW Heating and Current Drive Experiment Results and Prospects for CW Operation in QUEST
Hiroshi IDEI, Hideki ZUSHI, Kazuaki HANADA, Evgeniya KALINNIKOVA1), Kazuo NAKAMURA, Akihide FUJISAWA, Yoshihiko NAGASHIMA, Makoto HASEGAWA, Keisuke MATSUOKA, Tsuyoshi KARIYA2), Tsuyoshi IMAI2), Ryutaro MINAMI2), Naoaki YOSHIDA, Mizuki SAKAMOTO2), Hideo WATANABE, Kazutoshi TOKUNAGA, Akira EJIRI3), Masatsugu SAKAGUCHI1), Masaki ISHIGURO1), Saya TASHIMA1), Atsushi FUKUYAMA4), Hiroe IGAMI5), Shin KUBO5), Mitsutaka ISOBE5), Kenichi NAGAOKA5), Hideya NAKANISHI5), Nobuhiro NISHINO6), Shoji KAWASAKI, Hisatoshi NAKASHIMA, Aki HIGASHIJIMA, Yuichi TAKASE3), Takashi MAEKAWA7), Osamu MITARAI8), Mitsuru KIKUCHI9) and Kazuo TOI5)
Research Institute for Fusion Science, Kasuga 816-8580, Japan
1)
Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Science, Kyushu University, Kasuga 816-8580, Japan
2)
Plasma Research Center, Tsukuba University, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
3)
Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8561, Japan
4)
Department of Nuclear Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
5)
National Institute for Fusion Science, Toki 509-5292, Japan
6)
Mechanical System Engineering, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
7)
Graduate School of Energy Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
8)
Institute of Industrial Science and Technology Research, Tokai University, Kumamoto 862-8652, Japan
9)
Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Naka 311-0193, Japan
(Received 12 December 2011 / Accepted 11 May 2012 / Published 13 September 2012)

Abstract

A CW phased-array antenna system for electron cyclotron/Bernstein wave heating and current drive (ECWH/CD, EBWH/CD) experiments was developed in the QUEST. The antenna was designed to excite an elliptically polarized pure O-mode wave in oblique injection for the O-X-B mode conversion scenario, and its good performance was confirmed at a high power level. Long pulse discharges with a plasma current of 10 kA and 15 kA were non-inductively attained for 37 s and 20 s, respectively, with only radio frequency (RF) power. Divertor configurations were also obtained in the RF-sustained plasmas. A new operational window for sustained plasma current was observed in the high-density plasma with a higher RF incident power. Two new heating and current drive systems with an 8.56 GHz klystron and a 28 GHz gyrotron are being prepared to conduct CW EBWH/CD experiments in the high-density plasma.

Keywords

electron Bernstein wave, spherical tokamak, QUEST, phased-array antenna

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.7.2402112

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References

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This paper may be cited as follows:

Hiroshi IDEI, Hideki ZUSHI, Kazuaki HANADA, Evgeniya KALINNIKOVA, Kazuo NAKAMURA, Akihide FUJISAWA, Yoshihiko NAGASHIMA, Makoto HASEGAWA, Keisuke MATSUOKA, Tsuyoshi KARIYA, Tsuyoshi IMAI, Ryutaro MINAMI, Naoaki YOSHIDA, Mizuki SAKAMOTO, Hideo WATANABE, Kazutoshi TOKUNAGA, Akira EJIRI, Masatsugu SAKAGUCHI, Masaki ISHIGURO, Saya TASHIMA, Atsushi FUKUYAMA, Hiroe IGAMI, Shin KUBO, Mitsutaka ISOBE, Kenichi NAGAOKA, Hideya NAKANISHI, Nobuhiro NISHINO, Shoji KAWASAKI, Hisatoshi NAKASHIMA, Aki HIGASHIJIMA, Yuichi TAKASE, Takashi MAEKAWA, Osamu MITARAI, Mitsuru KIKUCHI and Kazuo TOI, Plasma Fusion Res. 7, 2402112 (2012).