First-principles density limit scaling in tokamaks based on edge turbulent transport and implications for ITER

Abstract

A first-principles scaling law, based on turbulent transport considerations, and a multi-machine database of density limit discharges from the ASDEX Upgrade, JET and TCV tokamaks, show that the increase of the boundary turbulent transport with the plasma collisionality sets the maximum density achievable in tokamaks. This scaling law shows a strong dependence on the heating power, therefore predicting for ITER a significantly larger safety margin than the Greenwald empirical scaling (Greenwald et al, Nucl. Fusion, 28(12), 1988) in case of unintentional H-L transition.

References in corpus (5)

• Edge Shear Flows and Particle Transport near the Density Limit in the HL-2A Tokamak
• Investigation of turbulent transport regimes in the tokamak edge by using two-fluid simulations
• Theory-based scaling laws of near and far scrape-off layer widths in single-null L-mode discharges
• A unified model of density limit in fusion plasmas
• Integrated real-time supervisory management for off-normal-event handling and feedback control of tokamak plasmas

Cited by in corpus (6)

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• Turbulent transport regimes in the tokamak boundary and operational limits
• Numerical Implementation of the Improved Sugama Collision Operator Using a Moment Approach
• Three-dimensional boundary turbulence simulations of a RFX-mod plasma in the presence of voltage biasing
• Disentangling Core and Edge Mechanisms of the Density Limit in DIII-D Negative Triangularity Plasmas
• Conservative formulation of the drift-reduced fluid plasma model