Status of the ITER Plasma Control System design*

The design of the ITER Plasma Control System (PCS) for first plasma and the early operation phase is now well underway. This contribution will summarize the main scenarios planned for this phase and outline the main control requirements, which must be in place (e.g. magnetic control, fuelling control, ECH control, but also initial disruption avoidance). It will discuss the PCS architecture and describe the ITER approach to the design of these multiple required control functions:  a system-engineering database (PCSDB) that ensures the individual function and overall performance requirements, together with a simulation platform (PCSSP) in Matlab/Simulink for implementation, testing, and assessment of the ITER PCS.

Given that it will be the main auxiliary heating and current drive system for the start of ITER operations, to illustrate the PCS design approach, specific focus will be placed on control of Electron Cyclotron Heating. This system is particularly complex, with a large number of actuators and flexible configuration, allowing the simultaneous achievement of multiple control goals. A crucial control component is thus the Actuator Manager, which serves as a demonstration of dynamic actuator allocation for central heating and NTM control.