Publications de Federico Alberto Alfredo Felici

Simulation validation of an Extremum Seeking-based Vertical Stabilization system for TCV

Federico Alberto Alfredo Felici, Antoine Pierre Emmanuel Alexis Merle, Cristian Galperti, Stefano Marchioni

This paper presents a preliminary assessment of the Extremum Seeking-based Vertical Stabilization system originally proposed in Dubbioso et al. (2022), in view of possible deployment on the TCV tokamak. The control algorithm has been modified to adapt it t ...

2025

Integrated operation scenarios: Chapter 6 of the special issue: on the path to tokamak burning plasma operation

Federico Alberto Alfredo Felici

Here we report the progress of the development and optimization of operational scenarios for ITER and beyond, focusing upon baseline, hybrid, and steady-state scenarios since 2007. This includes advancements made by the integrated operation scenarios (IOS) ...

2025

Milestone in predicting core plasma turbulence: successful multi-channel validation of the gyrokinetic code GENE

Basil Duval, Timothy Goodman, Olivier Sauter, Stefano Coda, Laurie Porte, Benoît Labit, Federico Alberto Alfredo Felici, Antoine Pierre Emmanuel Alexis Merle, Umar Sheikh, Mengdi Kong, Simon Van Mulders, Cristian Sommariva, Alessandro Pau

On the basis of several recent breakthroughs in fusion research, many activities have been launched around the world to develop fusion power plants on the fastest possible time scale. In this context, high-fidelity simulations of the plasma behavior on lar ...

2025

Design and implementation of a model-based hierarchical architecture for plasma shape control in the TCV tokamak

Olivier Sauter, Stefano Coda, Federico Alberto Alfredo Felici, Antoine Pierre Emmanuel Alexis Merle, Cristian Galperti

Plasma shape control is a fundamental tool for effective tokamak operation, allowing improved plasma performance and the pursuit of challenging scientific objectives. In this framework, the Tokamak á Configuration Variable (TCV) of the École Polytechnique ...

IOP Publishing2025

Model-based estimation of tokamak plasma profiles and physics parameters: algorithm overview and application to ITER

Olivier Sauter, Federico Alberto Alfredo Felici, Francesco Carpanese, Cassandre Ekta Contré, Francesco Pastore, Reinart Andreas J. Coosemans

Combining dynamic models and measurements into a consistent plasma state estimate is an important challenge for ITER and DEMO, due to the inherent limitations regarding diagnostic coverage in a nuclear fusion reactor environment. In this work, a model-base ...

2025

H-Mode density limit disruption avoidance in ASDEX Upgrade, TCV and JET

Olivier Sauter, Federico Alberto Alfredo Felici, Alessandro Pau

In recent years a strong effort has been made to investigate disruption avoidance schemes in order to aid the development of integrated operational scenarios for ITER. Within the EUROfusion programme the disruptive H-Mode density limit (HDL) has been studi ...

ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA2025

Iterative learning optimization and control of MAST-U breakdown and early ramp-up scenarios

Federico Alberto Alfredo Felici

Plasma start-up is a crucial phase for tokamak operations and its design and optimization is getting more and more attention in view of the operation of future large tokamaks like ITER, where costs, risks and operational limits require more design tools. M ...

SPRINGER2025

Nonlinear excitation of energetic particle driven geodesic acoustic mode by resonance overlap with Alfvén instability in ASDEX Upgrade

Basil Duval, Timothy Goodman, Olivier Sauter, Stefano Coda, Laurie Porte, Benoît Labit, Federico Alberto Alfredo Felici, Antoine Pierre Emmanuel Alexis Merle, Umar Sheikh, Mengdi Kong, Simon Van Mulders, Cristian Sommariva, Alessandro Pau

The Alfvén instability nonlinearly excited the energetic-particle-driven geodesic acoustic mode on the ASDEX-Upgrade tokamak, as demonstrated experimentally. The mechanism of the energetic-particle-driven geodesic acoustic mode excitation and the mode nonl ...

Nature Research2025

Effect of energetic ions on edge-localized modes in tokamak plasmas

Patrick Blanchard, Timothy Goodman, Jean-Marc Moret, Olivier Sauter, Holger Reimerdes, Stefano Coda, Alexander Karpushov, Yanis Andrebe, Duccio Testa, Benoît Labit, Christian Gabriel Theiler, Federico Alberto Alfredo Felici, Hugo De Oliveira, Claudio Marini, Antoine Pierre Emmanuel Alexis Merle, Anna Teplukhina, Joan Decker, Cedric Kar-Wai Tsui, Umar Sheikh, Cristian Galperti, Kevin Henricus Annemarie Verhaegh, Dahye Choi, Aylwin Iantchenko, Mengdi Kong, Roberto Maurizio, Francesco Carpanese, Mirko Wensing, Lorenzo Stipani, Federico Pesamosca, Olivier Claude Martin Février, Filippo Bagnato, Cristian Sommariva, Davide Galassi

The most efficient and promising operational regime for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor tokamak is the high-confinement mode. In this regime, however, periodic relaxations of the plasma edge can occur. These edge-localized modes pose a ...

2025

Dynamic steady-state coil current allocation for plasma shape control: A study on the TCV tokamak

Stefano Coda, Federico Alberto Alfredo Felici, Antoine Pierre Emmanuel Alexis Merle

This work addresses the input current allocation problem for the magnetic control system of the Tokamak à Configuration Variable (TCV). Given the available actuators (i.e. poloidal field coils) on the TCV device, this work aims to optimize the input curren ...

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.2024

Strategy to systematically design and deploy the ITER plasma control system: A system engineering and model-based design approach

Richard Pitts, Federico Alberto Alfredo Felici, Federico Pesamosca, Anna Ngoc Minh Trang Vu

The paper details the process of developing the ITER Plasma Control System (PCS), that is, how to design and deploy it systematically, in the most efficient and effective manner. The integrated nature of the ITER PCS, with its multitude of coupled control ...

Elsevier Science Sa2024

Disruption avoidance and investigation of the H-Mode density limit in ASDEX Upgrade

Federico Alberto Alfredo Felici, Alessandro Pau, Bernhard Sieglin

In recent years a strong effort has been made to investigate disruption avoidance schemes in order to aid the development of integrated operational scenarios for ITER. Within the EUROfusion programme the disruptive H-mode density limit (HDL) has been studi ...

Iop Publishing Ltd2024

Scenario optimization for the tokamak ramp-down phase in RAPTOR. Part B: safe termination of DEMO plasmas

Olivier Sauter, Emiliano Fable, Federico Alberto Alfredo Felici, Anna Teplukhina, Simon Van Mulders, Cassandre Ekta Contré

An optimized plasma current ramp-down strategy is critical for safe and fast termination of plasma discharges in a tokamak demonstration fusion reactor (DEMO), both in planned and emergency scenarios, avoiding plasma disruptions and excessive heat loads to ...

Iop Publishing Ltd2024

WEST full tungsten operation with an ITER grade divertor

Olivier Sauter, Federico Alberto Alfredo Felici

The mission of WEST (tungsten-W Environment in Steady-state Tokamak) is to explore long pulse operation in a full tungsten (W) environment for preparing next-step fusion devices (ITER and DEMO) with a focus on testing the ITER actively cooled W divertor in ...

IOP Publishing Ltd2024

Automated shot-to-shot optimization of the plasma start-up scenario in the TCV tokamak

Basil Duval, Stefano Coda, Federico Alberto Alfredo Felici, Antoine Pierre Emmanuel Alexis Merle, Curdin Tobias Wüthrich, Pedro Andres Molina Cabrera, Cristian Galperti, Artur Perek

Plasma start-up is typically achieved manipulating poloidal magnetic fields, gas injection and possibly auxiliary heating. Model-based design techniques have been gaining increasing attention in view of future large tokamaks which have more stringent const ...

IOP Publishing Ltd2024

Overview of physics results from MAST upgrade towards core-pedestal-exhaust integration

Olivier Sauter, Holger Reimerdes, Christian Gabriel Theiler, Federico Alberto Alfredo Felici, Matteo Vallar, Samuele Mazzi

Recent results from MAST Upgrade are presented, emphasising understanding the capabilities of this new device and deepening understanding of key physics issues for the operation of ITER and the design of future fusion power plants. The impact of MHD instab ...

IOP Publishing Ltd2024

Scenario optimization for the tokamak ramp-down phase in RAPTOR: A. Analysis and model validation on ASDEX Upgrade

Olivier Sauter, Federico Alberto Alfredo Felici, Anna Teplukhina, Simon Van Mulders, Cassandre Ekta Contré, Bernhard Sieglin

We discuss how the combination of experimental observations and rapid modeling has enabled to improve understanding of the tokamak ramp-down phase in ASDEX Upgrade. A series of dedicated experiments has been performed, to disentangle the effect of individu ...

Iop Publishing Ltd2024

Iterative Learning Optimisation and Control of MAST-U Breakdown and Early Ramp-up Scenarios

Federico Alberto Alfredo Felici

Plasma initiation is an important phase in a tokamak discharge and its design and optimization is getting more and more attention in view of the operation of large tokamaks like ITER. The main objective of magnetic control during this phase is to obtain a ...

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.2024

Observation of magnetic islands in tokamak plasmas during the suppression of edge-localized modes

Basil Duval, Timothy Goodman, Olivier Sauter, Stefano Coda, Laurie Porte, Benoît Labit, Federico Alberto Alfredo Felici, Antoine Pierre Emmanuel Alexis Merle, Umar Sheikh, Mengdi Kong, Cristian Sommariva, Alessandro Pau

In tokamaks, a leading platform for fusion energy, periodic filamentary plasma eruptions known as edge-localized modes occur in plasmas with high-energy confinement and steep pressure profiles at the plasma edge. These edge-localized modes could damage the ...

2024

Inter-discharge optimization for fast, reliable access to ASDEX Upgrade advanced tokamak scenario

Olivier Sauter, Hartmut Zohm, Federico Alberto Alfredo Felici, Simon Van Mulders, Cassandre Ekta Contré

Rapid inter-discharge simulation and optimization using the RAPTOR code have allowed the development of a reliable and reproducible early heating strategy for an advanced tokamak (AT) scenario on ASDEX Upgrade. Solving for electron heat and current diffusi ...

IOP Publishing Ltd2024