A collective Thomson scattering (CTS) diagnostic was developed and used to measure the bulk and fast ions originating from 180 keV neutral beams in the Large Helical Device (LHD). Electromagnetic waves from a gyrotron at 77 GHz with 1 MW power output function as both the probe and electron cyclotron heating beam. To clarify the diagnostic applicability of the gyrotron in the 77 GHz frequency band, we investigated the dependence of the probe and receiver beam trajectories in plasmas with high electron densities of (4–5) × 1019 m−3 and low electron densities of (1–2) × 1019 m−3. At high density, a stray radiation component was observed in the CTS spectrum whereas it was negligibly small at low density. The CTS spectrum was measured and analysed after the in situ beam alignment using a beam scan. Qualitatively, the CTS spectrogram shows consistent response to ion temperatures of 1–2 keV for electron densities of (1–2) × 1019 m−3 and electron temperatures of 2–4 keV. The measured CTS spectrum shows an asymmetric shape at the foot of the bulk-ion region during the injection of 180 keV fast ions. This shape is explained by the fast-ion distribution in the velocity space (v‖, v⊥) based on Monte Carlo simulation results. The analysis method of the CTS spectra is used to evaluate the ion temperature and fast-ion velocity distribution from the measured CTS data.

An inter-machine dataset covering devices of different size and a variety of magnetic configurations is comprehensively analysed to assess the ranges of validity of neoclassical (NC) transport predictions in medium-to high density, high temperature discharges. A recently concluded benchmarking of calculations of transport coefficients from local NC theory [1] allows now a quantitative experimental energy transport study. While in earlier inter-machine studies of NC transport in 3D devices the electron energy transport at low densities has been investigated [2], this study focuses on the energy transport at medium to higher densities as anticipated when approaching reactor conditions. The validation approach as done here is to compare two fluxes: first, the 'NC flux' is determined with the NC transport coefficients and the gradients of the experimental density and temperature profiles. Second, the sources from deposition calculations considering heating and particle sources (the latter where available) yield the 'experimental flux'. Both fluxes are compared and the NC radial electric field E

The central electron temperature has successfully reached up to 7.5 keV in Large Helical Device (LHD) plasmas with a central high-ion temperature of 5 keV and central electron density of 1.3 × 10 19 m −3 . The result was obtained by heating with a newly-installed 154 GHz gyrotron and also optimization of injection geometry in electron cyclotron heating (ECH). The optimization has been carried out by using the ray-tracing code "LHDGauss," which has been upgraded to include the rapid post-processing three-dimensional (3D) equilibrium mapping obtained from experiments. For ray-tracing calculations, LHDGauss can automatically read the relevant data registered in the LHD database after a discharge, such as ECH injection settings (e.g., Gaussian beam parameters, target positions, polarization, and ECH power) and Thomson scattering diagnostic data along with the 3D equilibrium mapping data. The equilibrium map of the electron density and temperature profiles is then extrapolated into the region outside of the last closed flux surface. Mode purity, or the ratio between the ordinary mode and the extraordinary mode, is obtained by calculating the 1D full-wave equation along the direction of the rays from the antenna to the absorption target point. Using the virtual magnetic flux surfaces, the effects of the modeled density profiles and the magnetic shear at the peripheral region with a given polarization are taken into account. Power deposition profiles calculated for each Thomson scattering measurement timing are registered in the LHD database. Adjustment of the injection settings for the desired deposition profile from feedback provided on a shot-by-shot basis has resulted in an effective experimental procedure.

Enhancement of the output power per gyrotron has been planned in the Large Helical Device (LHD). Three 77-GHz gyrotrons with an output power of more than 1 MW have been operated. In addition, a high power gyrotron with the frequency of 154 GHz (1 MW/5 s, 0.5 MW/CW) was newly installed in 2012, and the total injection power of Electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) reached 4.6 MW. The operational regime of ECRH plasma on the LHD has been extended due to the upgraded ECRH system such as the central electron temperature of 13.5 keV with the line-averaged electron density ne_fir = 1 × 1019 m−3. The electron thermal confinement clearly improved inside the electron internal transport barrier, and the electron thermal diffusivity reached neoclassical level. The global energy confinement time increased with increase of ne_fir. The plasma stored energy of 530 kJ with ne_fir = 3.2 × 1019 m−3, which is 1.7 times larger than the previous record in the ECRH plasma in the LHD, has been successfully achieved.