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

该奖项是根据NSF/DoE基础等离子体科学与工程合作伙伴关系联合招标NSF 08-589提交并审查的提案作出的。该奖项为本科生参与整体研究工作提供资金支持，由美国能源部单独资助，合同编号为DE-FG02-09ER55022。本研究旨在研究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输运，通过在磁化实验室等离子体装置中操纵流动剖面。波动和粒子输运将由一组静电探针监测，流动剖面将通过一组终止等离子体柱的偏置同心圆电极控制。拟议研究的目标有三个方面。1. 开发一种预测代码，以模拟新墨西哥大学（UNM）线性HELCAT（螺旋阴极）等离子体装置中的等离子体传输，该研究的实验部分将在新墨西哥大学进行。2. 利用先进的基于模型的控制算法，通过对径向等离子体流剖面的适当操纵来控制跨场湍流驱动的粒子输运的可行性。3. 研究湍流和输运物理的基本非线性动力学。拟议的研究结果，虽然集中在基本的等离子体物理学上，但将对使核聚变成为一种可行的能源所需要的科学进步产生强烈的影响，因此将对一个对社会福利极其重要的领域产生深远的影响。建议的研究将促进发现，同时促进教与学。由于其多学科性质，拟议的研究计划汇集了等离子体物理学，计算方法和控制的概念，重点是拟议的建模和控制解决方案的实验验证。研究生和本科生将受益于这种独特的多学科经验，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，充分利用合作安排，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将得到加强。这项合作将允许研究生和本科生进入HELCAT实验设施，在那里他们可以进行实验来验证他们研究得出的建模和控制解决方案，并将使每个参与的学生接触到新的研究领域。本科生的参与增加了更广泛的教育影响，通过将学生引入科学研究作为可能的职业道路，对他们进行早期培训。

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.