Multi-Inputs/Multi-Outputs control of plasma current and loop voltage on Tore Supra

During a tokamak discharge, several control modes may have to be run in sequence in order to perform the control of the different discharge phases. The transitions between these control modes are not always easy to handle because in most cases the coupling between the controlled plasma quantities is not taken into account in each control mode design process. This paper presents a new Multi-Inputs/Multi-Outputs (MIMO) controller applied on Tore Supra to control both plasma current and flux variations through the central solenoid voltage and the lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) system power. It deals with the transition from a loop voltage floating mode to a loop voltage control mode. The controller, synthesized and tuned using a model-based approach, has been validated in simulation before its successful implementation on Tore Supra experiments.