GSPD: An algorithm for time-dependent tokamak equilibria design

Abstract

One of the common tasks required for designing new plasma pulses or shaping scenarios is to design the desired equilibria using an equilibrium (Grad-Shafranov equation) solver. However, standard equilibrium solvers are time-independent and cannot include dynamic effects such as plasma current drive, induced vessel currents, or voltage constraints. In this work we present the Grad-Shafranov Pulse Design (GSPD) algorithm, which solves for sequences of equilibria while simultaneously including time-dependent effects. The computed equilibria satisfy both Grad-Shafranov force balance and axisymmetric conductor circuit dynamics. The code for GSPD is available at github.com/plasmacontrol/GSPD.