The control of tokamak configuration variable plasmas

The general control of tokamak plasmas has evolved considerably over the past few years with an increase in the plasma pulse length, an increase in the control of additional heating and fueling, and an increase in the degree to which the shape of the plasma can be varied. The Tokamak Configuration Variable (TCV) is specifically designed to explore the operational benefits of plasma shaping over a wide variety of plasma shapes. Consequently, considerable attention has been given to the control of the poloidal field coil currents that impose the desired shape. All aspects of the control of TCV plasmas, from the diagnostic measurements to the power supplies, via particular control algorithms and overall supervision are discussed.