A power-balance model, with radiation losses from impurities and neutrals, gives a unified description of the density limit (DL) of the stellarator, the L-mode tokamak, and the reversed field pinch (RFP). The model predicts a Sudo-like scaling for the stellarator, a Greenwald-like scaling, , for the RFP and the ohmic tokamak, a mixed scaling, , for the additionally heated L-mode tokamak. In a previous paper (Zanca et al 2017 Nucl. Fusion 57 056010) the model was compared with ohmic tokamak, RFP and stellarator experiments. Here, we address the issue of the DL dependence on heating power in the L-mode tokamak. Experimental data from high-density disrupted L-mode discharges performed at JET, as well as in other machines, are taken as a term of comparison. The model fits the observed maximum densities better than the pure Greenwald limit.

The 2014–2016 JET results are reviewed in the light of their significance for optimising the ITER research plan for the active and non-active operation. More than 60 h of plasma operation with ITER first wall materials successfully took place since its installation in 2011. New multi-machine scaling of the type I-ELM divertor energy flux density to ITER is supported by first principle modelling. ITER relevant disruption experiments and first principle modelling are reported with a set of three disruption mitigation valves mimicking the ITER setup. Insights of the L–H power threshold in Deuterium and Hydrogen are given, stressing the importance of the magnetic configurations and the recent measurements of fine-scale structures in the edge radial electric. Dimensionless scans of the core and pedestal confinement provide new information to elucidate the importance of the first wall material on the fusion performance. H-mode plasmas at ITER triangularity (H  =  1 at βN ~ 1.8 and n/nGW ~ 0.6) have been sustained at 2 MA during 5 s. The ITER neutronics codes have been validated on high performance experiments. Prospects for the coming D–T campaign and 14 MeV neutron calibration strategy are reviewed.

In the present work, a boundary layer developing over a rough-wall consisting of staggered cubes with a plan area packing density, λp = 25%, is studied within a wind tunnel using combined particle image velocimetry and hot-wire anemometry to investigate the non-linear interactions between large-scale momentum regions and small-scale structures induced by the presence of the roughness. Due to the highly turbulent nature of the roughness sub-layer and measurement equipment limitations, temporally resolved flow measurements are not feasible, making the conventional filtering methods used for triple decomposition unsuitable for the present work. Thus, multi-time delay linear stochastic estimation is used to decompose the flow into large-scales and small-scales. Analysis of the scale-decomposed skewness of the turbulent velocity (u′) shows a significant contribution of the non-linear term uL′uS′2¯, which represents the influence of the large-scales (uL′) onto the small-scales (uS′). It is shown that this non-linear influence of the large-scale momentum regions occurs with all three components of velocity in a similar manner. Finally, through two-point spatio-temporal correlation analysis, it is shown quantitatively that large-scale momentum regions influence small-scale structures throughout the boundary layer through a non-linear top-down mechanism.