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The Fusion Synthesis Engine (FUSE) is a state-of-the-art software suite designed to revolutionize fusion power plant design. FUSE integrates first-principle models, machine learning, and reduced models into a unified framework, enabling comprehensive simulations that go beyond traditional 0D systems studies. FUSE's modular structure supports a hierarchy of model fidelities, from steady-state to time-dependent simulations, allowing for both pre-conceptual design and operational scenario development. This framework accelerates the design process by enabling self-consistent solutions across physics, engineering, and control systems, minimizing the need for iterative expert evaluations. Leveraging modern software practices and parallel computing, FUSE also provides multi-objective optimization, balancing cost, efficiency, and operational constraints. Developed in Julia, FUSE is fully open-source under the Apache 2.0 license, promoting transparency and collaboration within the fusion research community.

This report is in partial fulfillment of deliverable D1.1 Optimization of the SPI model and summarizes axisymmetric ITER SPI parameter scans performed by the NIMROD code for several ITER equilibria. These axisymmetric parameter scans are to assess the sensitivity of various injection parameters in preparation for 3D MHD SPI simulations. The scans are comprised of 5 scenarios: S1 - fragment size scan : 3 uniform pencil beam, 1 distributed size pencil beam S2 - velocity scan : v = [250,500,750]m/s S3 - velocity dispersion scan : dv/v = [0.2,0.4] (linear distribution) S4 - poloidal extent of plume : [15' ,45' ] (linear distribution) (dv/v=0.2) S5 - poloidal injection angle : +/-[20' ,45' ] (dv/v=0.2) These scans are performed with several ITER equilibria representative of the operating range, from low current and thermal energy (H123 5MA, 29MJ Hydrogen H-mode) to high current and high thermal energy (DT24 15MA, 370MJ D-T H-mode)., Comment: in partial fulfillment of ITER Agreement Ref: IO/IA/20/4300002130 to the Agreement on Scientific Cooperation Ref: LGA-2019-A-73

This report is in partial fulfillment of deliverable D1.3 Code Validation (DIII-D). These simulations focus on thermal quench phase of the SPI mitigation and are not typically carried beyond it to the current spike and subsequent current quench. NIMROD SPI simulations[1] are validated against DIII-D experiments. The target plasma for these simulations is DIII-D 160606@02990ms., Comment: in partial fulfillment of ITER Agreement Ref: IO/IA/20/4300002130 to the Agreement on Scientific Cooperation Ref: LGA-2019-A-73

The STEP (Stability, Transport, Equilibrium, and Pedestal) integrated-modeling tool has been developed in OMFIT to predict stable, tokamak equilibria self-consistently with core-transport and pedestal calculations. STEP couples theory-based codes to integrate a variety of physics, including MHD stability, transport, equilibrium, pedestal formation, and current-drive, heating, and fueling. The input/output of each code is interfaced with a centralized ITER-IMAS data structure, allowing codes to be run in any order and enabling open-loop, feedback, and optimization workflows. This paradigm simplifies the integration of new codes, making STEP highly extensible. STEP has been verified against a published benchmark of six different integrated models. Core-pedestal calculations with STEP have been successfully validated against individual DIII-D H-mode discharges and across more than 500 discharges of the $H_{98,y2}$ database, with a mean error in confinement time from experiment less than 19%. STEP has also reproduced results in less conventional DIII-D scenarios, including negative-central-shear and negative-triangularity plasmas. Predictive STEP modeling has been used to assess performance in several tokamak reactors. Simulations of a high-field, large-aspect-ratio reactor show significantly lower fusion power than predicted by a zero-dimensional study, demonstrating the limitations of scaling-law extrapolations. STEP predictions have found promising EXCITE scenarios, including a high-pressure, 80%-bootstrap-fraction plasma. ITER modeling with STEP has shown that pellet fueling enhances fusion gain in both the baseline and advanced-inductive scenarios. Finally, STEP predictions for the SPARC baseline scenario are in good agreement with published results from the physics basis., Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures Associated with invited talk at 63nd Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Plasma Physics: https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/DPP21/Session/NI02.1 . The following article has been submitted to Physics of Plasmas. After it is published, it will be found at https://publishing.aip.org/resources/librarians/products/journals/

Disruptions are a serious problem in tokamaks, in which thermal and magnetic energy confinement is lost. This paper uses data from the DIII-D experiment, theory, and simulations to demonstrate that resistive wall tearing modes (RWTM) produce the thermal quench (TQ) in a typical locked mode shot. Analysis of the linear RWTM dispersion relation shows the parameter dependence of the growth rate, particularly on the resistive wall time. Linear simulations of the locked mode equilibrium show that it is unstable with a resistive wall, and stable with an ideally conducting wall. Nonlinear simulations demonstrate that the RWTM grows to sufficient amplitude to cause a complete thermal quench. The RWTM growth time is proportional to the thermal quench time. The nonlinearly saturated RWTM magnetic perturbation amplitude agrees with experimental measurements. The onset condition is that the q = 2 rational surface is sufficiently close to the resistive wall. Collectively, this identifies the RWTM as the cause of the TQ. In ITER, RWTMs will produce long TQ times compared to present-day experiments. ITER disruptions may be significantly more benign than previously predicted.