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Recent progress in an ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) heating system and experiment results in a Large Helical Device (LHD) are reported. Three kinds of ICRF antenna pairs were installed in the LHD, and the operation power regimes were extended up to 4.5 MW; also, the steady-state operation was extended for more than 45 min in LHD at a MW power level. We studied ICRF heating physics in heliotron configuration using a Hand Shake type (HAS) antenna, Field Aligned Impedance Transforming (FAIT) antenna, and Poloidal Array (PA) antenna, and established the optimum minority-ion heating scenario in an LHD. The FAIT antenna having a novel impedance transformer inside the vacuum chamber could reduce the VSWR and successfully injected a higher power to plasma. We tested the PA antennas completely removing the Faraday-shield pipes to avoid breakdown and to increase the plasma coupling. The heating performance was almost the same as other antennas; however, the heating efficiency was degraded when the gap between the antenna and plasma surface was large. Using these three kinds of antennas, ICRF heating could contribute to raising the plasma beta with the second- and third-harmonic cyclotron heating mode, and also to raising the ion temperature as discharge cleaning tools. In 2014, steady-state operation plasma with a line-averaged electron density of 1.2 x 1019 m-3, ion and electron temperature of 2 keV, and plasma sustainment time of 48 min was achieved with ICH and ECH heating power of 1.2 MW for majority helium with minority hydrogen. In 2015, the higherpower steady-state operation with a heating power of up to 3 MW was tested with higher density of 3 x 1019 m-3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the large helical device (LHD), the theoretically predicted width of the ordinary-extraordinary-electron Bernstein wave (O-X-B) mode conversion (MC) window is comparable to the beam width and the power deposition is located in the off-axis region if the 77GHz fundamental electron cyclotron (EC) wave of is launched from an existing horizontal port antenna. In the experiment, the actual MC window location was looked for with changing the aiming. The effective aiming with that the increase of the stored energy was observed was two degrees apart from the location of the theoretical MC window at a maximum. Measurement of the waves originated from the thermally emitted EBW and radiated via the B-X-O mode conversion process is effective to improve the accuracy of the theoretical prediction with comparison between the theoretical and the experimental results. The theoretical prediction suggests that the width of the MC window of the fundamental 77GHz EC wave can be expanded if the lower port antenna is used. On the other hand, the MC window of the second harmonic 154GHz EC wave is blocked by horizontal port wall if another horizontal port antenna is used. It is required to move the final mirror of the quasi-optical antenna toward the plasma surface. Focusing of the beam at the plasma cutoff is (PC) also necessary for the effective mode conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancement of the output powEr pEr gyrotron has been planned in the Large Helical Device (LHD). Three 77-GHz gyrotrons with an output powEr of more than 1 MW have been opEraTed. In addition, a high powEr gyrotron with the frequency of 154 GHz (1 MW/5 s, 0.5 MW/CW) was newly installed in 2012 and the total injection powEr of ECRH reached 4.6 MW. The opErational regime of ECRH plasma on the LHD has been exTended due to the upgraded ECRH sysTem such as the central electron TempErature Te0 = 13.5 keV with ne = 1x1019 m-3. In the LHD, an electron-inTernaltransport barriEr (e-ITB) relaTed to the production of high Te plasmas has been realized by strongly centre-focused ECRH. The electron thErmal confinement clearly improved inside the e-ITB. The radial electric field was measured using the heavy ion beam probe. The formation of the positive Er was obsErved in the core region, which well agreed with the prediction of the neoclassical transport theory. The energy confinement characTeristics have been investigaTed in the ECRH plasmas. It was found that highEr plasma stored energy and lowEr radiation powEr was realized in the outward configuration. The plasma stored energy of 530 kJ with ne = 3.2x1019 m-3, which is the 1.7 times largEr than the previous record in the ECRH plasma in the LHD, has been successfully achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

doi: Long-pulse discharge with the electron density ne0 of 1 x 1019 m-3, electron temperature Te0 of 2.5 keV, discharge length tdis of 19 minutes and heating power Pinject of 1MW, is demonstrated using the HAS antenna and the PA antenna for ion cyclotron heating (ICH) and increasing in the power of electron cyclotron heating (ECH). The HAS antenna is designed to phase dipole and excite ideal fast wave with parallel electric field kept small, and low impurity generation and accumulation are achieved on the steady-state discharge by weak parasitic heating around antennas. On the long-pulse discharge, the radiation measured by bolometer is kept smaller than 20% for injection power, and the heat load to divertor is approximately 60 % with low energetic particle losses. The heat load ratio to divertor is not as a function of injection power around 1MW, and energy confinement has been kept during the steady-state discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To sustain plasmas with higher parameters and with longer pulse duration in LHD, ECH system has been upgraded by introducing newly developed 77 GHz gyrotrons. The designed output power and operation duration time are over 1 MW for several seconds and 0.3 MW for continuous operation, respectively. Owing to the upgrade of gyrotrons and improved power supply operation procedure, total injection power of EC-waves to LHD increased up to 3.7 MW at the last LHD experimental campaign in 2010. Application of the high-power 77 GHz EC-waves of 3.4 MW as focused beams to the center of plasma with low line-average electron density of ∼0.2×1019 m-3 causes highly steep electron temperature profile and the central electron temperature reached up to 20 keV, which highly exceeds the former record of 15 keV. At higher density region of 1×1019 m-3, central electron temperature reached 8.6 keV. Additional electron Bernstein wave heatings, O-X-B and slow X-B heatings, using a 77 GHz ECH system caused clear increase in plasma stored energy even for the high-density plasmas over plasma cutoff (>7.35×1019 m-3) sustained with NBI. For the O-X-B scenario, the 77 GHz EC-wave was obliquely injected from low-field side in O-mode polarization, aiming at the point where high mode-conversion efficiency was expected. For realizing slow X-B scenario, new inner-vessel mirrors were installed in LHD just close to a helical coil, that is, at the high-field side (HFS) region. Using the inner-vessel mirror, X-mode waves were injected from HFS, showing evident increase in plasma stored energy. Oblique injection of long-pulse 0.77 MW/8 s 77 GHz wave with various N∥ clearly demonstrated ECCD in LHD. The EC-driven current changes its direction with the sign of N∥, and the highest EC-driven current reached up to 42 kA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phased-array antenna system for Electron Cyclotron/Bernstein Wave Heating and Current Drive experiments has been developed in the QUEST. The antenna was designed to excite a pure O-mode wave in the oblique injection for the O-X-B mode conversion experiments, and its good performances were confirmed at a low power level. The plasma current (<∼15 kA) with an aspect ratio of 1.5 was started up and sustained by only RF injection in the low-density operations. The long pulse discharge of 10 kA was also attained for 37 s. The new density window to sustain the plasma current was observed in the high-density plasmas. The single-null divertor configuration with the high plasma current (<∼25 kA) was attained in the 17 s plasma sustainment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ECRH) has contributed to the achievement of high performance plasma production, high electron temperature plasmas and sustainment of steady-state plasmas in the Large Helical Device (LHD). Our immediate targets of upgrading the ECRH system are 5 MW several seconds and 1 MW longer than one hour power injection into LHD. The improvement will greatly extend the plasma parameter regime. For that purpose, we have been promoting the development and installation of 77 GHz/1–1.5 MW/several seconds and 0.3 MW/CW gyrotrons in collaboration with University of Tsukuba. The transmission lines are re-examined and improved for high and CW power transmission. In the recent experimental campaign, two 77 GHz gyrotrons were operated. One more gyrotron, which was designed for 1.5 MW/2 s output, was constructed and is tested. We have been promoting to improve total ECRH efficiency for efficient gyrotron-power use and efficient plasma heating, e.g. a new waveguide alignment method and mode-content analysis and the feedback control of the injection polarization. In the last experimental campaign, the 77 GHz gyrotrons were used in combination with the existing 84 GHz range and 168 GHz gyrotrons. Multi-frequency ECRH system is more flexible in plasma heating experiments and diagnostics. A lot of experiments have been performed in relation to high electron temperature plasmas by realization of the core electron-root confinement (CERC), electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD), Electron Bernstein Wave heating, and steady-state plasma sustainment. Some of the experimental results are briefly described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the transition to Core Electron-Root Confinement (CERC) using the 77 GHz ECRH system, which was newly installed in the Large Helical Device (LHD). The focal point scan of the ECRH was carried out shot by shot in the same poloidal surface along the magnetic field of 2.75 T, which is the fundamental resonance surface for 77 GHz ECRH. The formation of the steep gradient in the electron temperature and the change of the radial electric field from negative to positive value in the plasma core region were observed by the ECRH injection to ρ<0.5. The foot point of the peaked profile of the electron temperature appeared near the m/n = 2/1 rational surface, which was located at ρ∼0.5. These results imply that localized ECRH in the inner region within the lower order rational surface and/or the electron heat flux across the rational surface play important roles for the transition to CERC. We also confirmed that the calculated radial electric field from a neoclassical theory qualitatively agreed with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Large helical device (LHD), super dense core (SDC) regime [1] and high electron temperature regime with formation of the electron internal transport barrier (e-ITB) [2][3] have been studied strenuously. Electron cyclotron heating (ECH) and current drive (ECCD) in such regimes can be powerful tools for heating and control of the plasma confinement. In this paper, recent progress of ECH experiments aiming at further advanced operation in these regimes is reported. Study of fundamental ECH by electron Bernstein waves (EBWs) has been required in the SDC regime. Early experimental results of EBW-ECH by so-called O-X-B and X-B method are introduced. In a newly realized enhanced magnetic field configuration, the highest central electron temperature over 10 keV was obtained in electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) discharges. ECCD will be very important in both of high density and high temperature regimes. It has been progressed with the optimization of microwave injection and magnetic field configuration. Progress of ECCD experiment is shortly introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is very important to demonstrate the ability to sustain the plasma in a steady state on the Large Helical Device (LHD), which has external helical magnetic coils and is a superconducting device. The long pulse discharge experiment was carried out using the ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) heating mainly. The plasma discharge of 31 minutes and 45 seconds was achieved by a total injected heating energy of 1.3GJ. Swing of the magnetic axis to scatter the local heat load on the divertor plate was one of the key methods for the steady state operation. The repetitive hydrogen pellet injection was tried successfully to fuel the minority hydrogen ions for long pulse operation. © 2005 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]