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High Gain and Frequency Ultra-Stable Integrators for ICC and Long Pulse ITER Applications

Award Information
Agency: Department of Energy
Branch: N/A
Contract: DE-SC0006281
Agency Tracking Number: 211659
Amount: $999,979.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: 69d
Solicitation Number: DE-FOA-0001019
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2014
Award Year: 2014
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2014-08-15
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2016-08-16
Small Business Information
119 West Denny Way Suite 210
Seattle, WA 98119-4205
United States
DUNS: 20-484924
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Kenneth Miller
 Dr.
 (206) 402-5241
 kemiller@eagleharbortech.com
Business Contact
 Timothy Ziemba
Title: Dr.
Phone: (206) 402-5241
Email: ziemba@eagleharbortech.com
Research Institution
 Stub
Abstract

Inductive pickup loops are one of the primary magnetic diagnostics in modern fusion concepts. To convert the voltage measurement from the inductive pickup loop to a measurement of magnetic field, the loop voltage must be integrated. While simple in principle, in practice several factors make the integration difficult, especially when there are large scale differences between the fast and slow magnetic signals or high-gain integrators are used for relatively long integration periods. The challenges can broadly be grouped into a few general areas: dynamic bandwidth resolution, input offset errors, droop, and long-term drift stability. Prior to this SBIR work, there were no integrators in the world that could meet the ITER integrator requirements for integration error and pulse duration. Eagle Harbor Technologies (EHT) has developed a long-pulse integrator that exceeds the ITER specification for integration error and pulse duration. EHT is continuing the technology development originally started at Redmond Plasma Physics Laboratories (RPPL) and commercializing a final product that is suitable for long-pulse experiments, thus fulfilling a goal of the validation platform experiments. During the Phase I program, EHT improved the RPPL short-pulse integrators, added a fast digital reset, and demonstrated that the new integrators exceed the ITER integration error and pulse duration requirements. In Phase II, EHT developed Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) software that allows for integrator control and real-time signal digitization and processing. In the second year of Phase II, the EHT integrator will be tested at a validation platform experiment (HIT-SI) and tokamak (DIII-D). In a potential Phase IIB program, EHT proposes to continue development of the EHT integrator to reduce overall cost per channel. EHT will test lower cost components, move to surface mount components, and add an onboard Field Programmable Gate Array and data acquisition to produce a stand-alone system with lower cost per channel and increased the channel density. EHT will test the Phase IIB integrator at a validation platform experiment (HIT-SI) and tokamak (DIII-D). Commercial Applications and Other Benefits: The EHT integrator strongly supports validation platform experiments, whose programmatic goals critically rely on magnetic data to validate simulation results and extrapolate to burning plasma conditions. Additionally, the EHT integrator supports burning plasma experiments like ITER. The EHT integrator is currently the only integrator that meets or exceeds the ITER specifications over these long timescales. In addition, tokamaks from around the world have expressed great interest in the EHT integrator as they move toward longer-pulse operation to address scientific and engineering issues relevant to ITER. Beyond the fusion science community, integrators are used in high energy physics experiments, medical imaging instrumentation, and ion beam implantation.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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