Predicting and Optimizing Pedestal Structure with the EPED Model*

The pressure and temperature at the top of the edge transport barrier ("pedestal height"), play a strong role in fusion performance, with fusion power density in power plant scale plasmas scaling roughly with the square of the pedestal pressure. The EPED model [1] was developed to predict the structure of the pedestal based on two calculated constraints (1) onset of stiff transport due to nearly-local kinetic ballooning modes (KBM), and (2) global constraint on the pedestal height due to peeling-ballooning (P-B) modes. Recent developments have included generalization of the KBM constraint, and coupling of EPED to SOLPS, which enables self-consistent determination of sources and introduction of non-stiff transport constraints into EPED. EPED has been used to predict the Super H Mode regime and to guide record-setting experiments on DIII-D and C-Mod exploring this regime. Here we present recent work on updates to the EPED model, coupling of the model to core and SOL models, and validation of the model in a wide variety of experimental conditions, including in Super H-Mode experiments.