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Culham Electron Cyclotron Model | culecd()

  • iefrf/iefrffix = 7

This routine calculates the current drive parameters for a electron cyclotron system, based on the AEA FUS 172 model1

  1. Local electron temperature (tlocal) is calculated using the teprofile method
  2. Local electron density (dlocal) is calculated using the neprofile method

  3. Calculate the inverse aspect ratio epsloc.

epsloc=13A
  1. Calculate the Coulomb logarithm for ion-electron collisions coulog.2
coulog=15.20.5log(dlocal)+log(tlocal)

Calculate normalised current drive efficiency at four different poloidal angles, and average. cosang = cosine of the poloidal angle at which ECCD takes place = +1 outside, -1 inside.

Normalised current drive efficiency

Uses the eccdef model found here

  1. Calculate the normalised current drive efficiency at four different poloidal angles, and average. - Set cosang to 1.0 and calculate ecgam1. - Set cosang to 0.5 and calculate ecgam2. - Set cosang to -0.5 and calculate ecgam3. - Set cosang to -1.0 and calculate ecgam4.

    cosang = 1.0e0
    ecgam1 = self.eccdef(tlocal, epsloc, zlocal, cosang, coulog)
    cosang = 0.5e0
    ecgam2 = self.eccdef(tlocal, epsloc, zlocal, cosang, coulog)
    cosang = -0.5e0
    ecgam3 = self.eccdef(tlocal, epsloc, zlocal, cosang, coulog)
    cosang = -1.0e0
    ecgam4 = self.eccdef(tlocal, epsloc, zlocal, cosang, coulog)
    
  2. Calculate the normalised current drive efficiency ecgam as the average of ecgam1, ecgam2, ecgam3, and ecgam4.

ecgam=0.25(ecgam1+ecgam2+ecgam3+ecgam4)
  1. Calculate the current drive efficiency by dividing ecgam by (dlocal * physics_variables.rmajor).
Current drive efficiency [A/W]=ecgamdlocal×R0

Note: The eccdef method is called to calculate the current drive efficiency at each poloidal angle.


  1. Hender, T.C., Bevir, M.K., Cox, M., Hastie, R.J., Knight, P.J., Lashmore-Davies, C.N., Lloyd, B., Maddison, G.P., Morris, A.W., O’Brien, M.R. and Turner, M.F., 1992. "Physics assessment for the European reactor study." AEA FUS, 172. 

  2. Wesson, J. and Campbell, D.J., 2011. "Tokamaks" (Vol. 149). Oxford university press.