Assessment of operational space for long-pulse scenarios in ITER

Polevoi, A. R.*; Loarte, A.*; Hayashi, Nobuhiko; Kim, H. S.*; Kim, S. H.*; Koechl, F.*; Kukushkin, A. S.*; Leonov, V. M.*; Medvedev, S. Yu.*; Murakami, Masakatsu*; Na, Y. S.*; Pankin, A. Y.*; Park, J. M.*; Snyder, P. B.*; Snipes, J. A.*; Zhogolev, V. E.*; ITPA Integrated Operation Scenarios Topical Group*

The operational space (-) for long pulse scenarios of ITER was assessed by 1.5D core transport modelling with pedestal parameters predicted by the EPED1 code. The analyses include the majority of transport models presently used for interpretation of experiments and ITER predictions. The EPED1 code was modified to take into account boundary conditions predicted by SOLPS for ITER. In contrast with standard EPED1 assumptions, EPED1 with the SOLPS boundary conditions predicts no degradation of the pedestal pressure as density is reduced. Lowering the plasma density to 5-6 10 m leads to an increased plasma temperature (similar pedestal pressure), which reduces the loop voltage and increases the duration of the burn phase to 1000 s with Q 5 for 13 MA at moderate normalised pressure ( 2). These ITER plasmas require the same level of additional heating power as the reference Q = 10 inductive scenario at 15 MA. However, unlike the "hybrid" scenarios considered previously, these H-mode plasmas do not require specially shaped q profiles nor improved confinement in the core for the transport models considered in this study. Thus, these medium density H-mode plasma scenarios with 13 MA present an attractive alternative to hybrid scenarios to achieve ITER's long pulse Q 5 and deserve further analysis and experimental demonstration in present tokamaks.