Validation of the Fenix ASDEX Upgrade flight simulator

Fenix [1,2] is the ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) flight simulator based on the 1-D transport code ASTRA coupled with the 2-D equilibrium solver [3] SPIDER and Simulink (simulation platform integrated with MATLAB). Fenix is designed to simulate the entire discharge from the ramp up of the poloidal field (PF) coils, through the plasma phase, finishing with the ramp down of the PF coils. Currently, controllers for position, shape, fuelling and heating are implemented according to the AUG control system setup. Also, a model of the poloidal field coils and the models of their corresponding power supplies are provided, as well as basic models of heating actuators such as electron cyclotron resonant heating (ECRH), neutral beam injection (NBI) and fuelling using either pellets or gas. As a next step, the Fenix simulations have to be validated against an already existing database of the discharges. This article compares the behaviour of Fenix simulations against various AUG AUGAUGAUG discharge measurements. It shows that it succeeds in its goal as a comprehensive tokamak discharge simulator.

Automated summary

Fenix is a flight simulator based on ASTRA and SPIDER, designed to simulate the entire plasma discharge process with various controllers and heating actuator models. It has been successfully validated against an existing discharge database, demonstrating its comprehensive performance as a tokamak discharge simulator.