Control systems for ITER diagnostics, heating and current drive

Abstract

The ITER Diagnostic, Heating and Current Drive systems might appear, on the face of it, to have very different control requirements. There are approximately 45 diagnostic systems, including magnetic sensors for plasma position and shape determination, imaging systems in the IR and visible, Thompson scattering for electron temperature and density, neutron detectors and collective scattering for alpha particle density and energy distribution. The H&CD systems encompass Electron Cyclotron Heating, using 24 1MW, 170GHz gyrotrons and 5 steerable launchers to deliver 20MW to the plasma, Ion Cyclotron Heating, using 8 3MW, 40–55MHz sources and two multi-element launchers to deliver 20MW to the plasma, and 2 Negative Ion Neutral Beam Injectors, each of which can deliver up to 16.5MW of 1MeV beams to the plasma.Although there are substantial differences in the needs for protection, when handling multi-MW heating systems, and in data throughput for many diagnostics, the formal processes needed to translate system requirements into Instrumentation and Control are identical. Due to the distributed procurement of ITER sub-systems and the need to integrate as painlessly as possible to CODAC, the formal processes, together with a substantial degree of standardization, are even more than usually essential. Starting from the technical, safety and protection, integration and operation requirements, a loop of functional analysis and signal listing is used to generate the controller configuration and the conceptual architecture. These elements in their turn lead to the physical and software design.The paper will describe the formal processes of control system design and the methods used by the ITER project to achieve the standardization of systems engineering practices. These have been applied to several use-cases covering all operation relevant phases such as plasma operation, maintenance, testing and conditioning. There are a number of running contracts that are developing the control designs, including on which is preparing detailed diagnostic use-cases to help designers out in the field. The ITER International Organization will reinforce the methodology by holding regular User Meetings, in which successes and problems can be shared. Also, the distribution of CODAC Cores Systems and the holding of Hands-On Workshops is intended to help users in the Domestic Agencies and their suppliers to buy in to the standardization and to build compatible I&C systems, which will integrate seamlessly into CODAC when they arrive on the ITER site.