Optimization of power feedback control system for HCN interferometer on EAST Tokamak

• Published in: Journal of instrumentation 2023-11, Vol.18 (11), p.C11016
• Main Authors: Zhang, J.B., Liu, H.Q., Zhang, Y., Jie, Y.X., Wei, X.C., Xie, J.X., Wang, S.X., Lian, H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Actuators; Algorithms; Ambient temperature; Automatic control; Control systems; Electron density; Electrons; Feedback control; Feedback control systems; Glow discharges; HCN lasers; Interferometers; Laser outputs; Lasers; Nuclear instruments and methods for hot plasma diagnostics; Piezoelectric ceramics; Plasma diagnostics - interferometry, spectroscopy and imaging; Power control; Stepping motors; Tokamak devices
• ISSN: 1748-0221; 1748-0221
• DOI: 10.1088/1748-0221/18/11/C11016

The Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) interferometer stands as an indispensable diagnostic tool, designated to measure the line-integrated electron density on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), thereby offering essential density feedback signals for EAST operation. The HCN laser used in the interferometer is a continuous glow discharge gas laser. However, owing to variations in external ambient temperature, the HCN laser exhibits output power instability. The current power automatic feedback control system for the HCN laser interferometer exhibits low actuator adjustment precision, thereby limiting its ability to achieve maximum output power. Moreover, the system may cause a temporary power drop to zero during adjustment, while EAST operation requires the HCN laser interferometer to maintain high power continuously. In order to solve the issues, this paper developed an innovative actuator that ingeniously amalgamates the virtues of piezoelectric ceramic and stepper motor. This novel actuator, demonstrating a broad adjustment range and high precision, is intended to replace the present one in the HCN interferometer power control system. While the stepper motor executes coarse adjustment, the piezoelectric ceramic enables precise adjustment, thus enhancing the adjustment accuracy of the automatic power control system to a sub-micrometer level and an adjustment range greater than 5 mm. Accurate determination of the regulator's adjustment direction can significantly improve the efficiency of adjustment. The slope of the laser output power peak decreases as it approaches the maximum value, and increases as it moves away from the maximum value. Therefore, this system replaces the original threshold algorithm with a slope algorithm. By correctly judging the adjustment direction, the efficiency of adjustment is improved. Furthermore, this algorithm can keep the output power stable on a power peak. There will be no instances of zero power output during the adjustment, allowing the power to remain stable above the set threshold for a long time. Currently, this system has been successfully applied to the HCN interferometer, and testing has found that the system can maintain stability for at least 16 hours. Furthermore, even when the laser output power was intentionally reduced to below the set threshold, the system was able to respond quickly and adjust the output, rapidly restoring it to above the predefined threshold. Multiple tests have shown the stron