Collaborative Research: Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Turbulent Transport Control via Shaping of Radial Plasma Flow Profiles

该奖项是为了响应提交给NSF/DoE基础等离子体科学与工程合作伙伴关系NSF 08-589联合招标的提案。该奖项提供资金，以支持本科生参与整体研究工作，这是由美国能源部根据合同号DE-FG 02 - 09 ER 55022单独资助。这项研究的目的是调查不稳定波动的主动控制，包括充分发展的湍流和相关的跨场粒子传输，通过操纵流动剖面在磁化实验室等离子体设备。波动和颗粒传输将通过静电探针阵列进行监测，并且通过一组终止等离子体柱的偏置同心环电极来控制流量分布。拟议研究的目标有三个方面。1.开发一个预测代码，以模拟在线性HELCAT（HELicon-CAThode）等离子体设备在新墨西哥州大学（UNM），在拟议的研究的实验部分将进行等离子体传输。2. 建立使用先进的基于模型的控制算法的可行性，通过适当操纵径向等离子体流动轮廓来控制交叉场连续性驱动的粒子传输。3.研究湍流和输运物理的基本非线性动力学。拟议研究的结果虽然集中在基础等离子体物理上，但将对使核聚变成为可行的能源所需的科学进步产生强烈影响，因此将对一个对社会福利极为重要的领域产生深远影响。拟议中的研究将在促进教学的同时推进发现。由于其多学科性质，拟议的研究计划汇集了等离子体物理、计算方法和控制的概念，重点是对拟议的建模和控制解决方案的实验验证。研究生和本科生将从这种独特的多学科经验中受益，这将提高他们进行高级研究的能力，创造性地思考，利用独特的设施，充分利用协作安排，并以个人身份和团队成员的身份工作。每个合作机构的研究和学习基础设施都将得到加强。这项合作将使研究生和本科生能够使用HELCAT实验设施，在那里他们可以进行实验，以验证他们的研究所产生的建模和控制解决方案，并将使每一个参与的学生接触到新的研究领域。本科生的参与通过早期增加了更广泛的教育影响-通过向学生介绍科学研究作为可能的职业道路，对学生进行为期一年的培训。

This award is made in response to a proposal submitted to and reviewed under the NSF/DoE Partnership in Basic Plasma Science and Engineering joint solicitation NSF 08-589. The award provides funds to support undergraduate participation in the overall research effort, which is being funded separately by the DoE under contract number DE-FG02-09ER55022.This research aims to investigate active control of unstable fluctuations, including fully developed turbulence and the associated cross-field particle transport, via manipulation of flow profiles in a magnetized laboratory plasma device. Fluctuations and particle transport will be monitored by an array of electrostatic probes, and flow profiles controlled via a set of biased concentric ring electrodes that terminate the plasma column. The goals of the proposed research are threefold. 1. to develop a predictive code to simulate plasma transport in the linear HELCAT (HELicon-CAThode) plasma device at the University of New Mexico (UNM), where the experimental component of the proposed research will be carried out. 2. to establish the feasibility of using advanced model-based control algorithms to control cross-field turbulence-driven particle transport through appropriate manipulation of radial plasma flow profiles. 3. to investigate the fundamental nonlinear dynamics of turbulence and transport physics.The outcome of the proposed research, although focused on basic plasma physics, will have a strong impact on the scientific advancements that are needed to make nuclear fusion a viable source of energy, and will therefore produce a profound impact on an area of immense importance to the welfare of society. The proposed research will advance discovery while promoting teaching and learning. Due to its multidisciplinary nature, the proposed research plan brings together concepts from plasma physics, computational methods, and controls, with emphasis on experimental validation of the proposed modeling and control solutions. Graduate and undergraduate students will benefit from this unique multidisciplinary experience that will enhance their ability to conduct advanced research, think creatively, take advantage of unique facilities making good use of collaborative arrangements, and work in an individual capacity and as members of a team. The infrastructure for research and learning will be enhanced in each one of the collaborating institution. This collaboration will grant access to graduate and undergraduate students to the HELCAT experimental facility, where they can conduct experiments to validate the modeling and control solutions that result from their research, and will expose each one of the participating students to new research areas.The undergraduate participation adds a broader educational impact through the early-year training of students by introducing them to scientific research as a possible career path.