Video camera system improvements for Wendelstein 7-X

It has been over a year and a half since the worlds biggest and most complex fusion experimental device, Wendelstein 7-X has started in Greifswald, Germany. The video diagnostics system of the Hungarian team provided the first images of the first plasma discharges that came into the World’s press.

First helium plasma captured by the Hungarian camera system

Since then, the Hungarian team has been continuously working on further developmentsfor the upcoming experiments starting in September. The camera system has also been expanded with new cameras:two additional ultra-fast devices capable to capture more than 1,000,000 frames per second. In addition, existing intelligent cameras (EDICAM) have became „smarter” and been given new features to make even more detailed measurements of the processes in the plasma.It is very important detect and capture these processes in order to protect the device, which is the main aim of the camera system. Thanks to the special views, the entire stellarator interior can be monitored by the system which is also an important thing concerning safety tasks in addition to the experimental measurements.

Video Diagnostics team: (frem left to right) Gábor Bodnár, Tamás Ilkei, Dr. Gábor Kocsis, Gábor Cseh, Dr. Tamás Szepesi, Tamás Szabolics

The system was delivered and assembled in several steps by Hungarian physicists and engieneers. After the on-site assembly, the system was undergoing testing and development until the very first experiments, and development was not stopped as the control and data processing softwares have been continuously adapted to control room experts. In the critical first experiment everything worked well, so the staff of the Plasma Physics Department of the Wigner RCP could rejoice with the other ca. 150 people in the control room of W7-X, seeing the images of the first plasma.

Video diagnostics team in the control room of W7-X with german colleagues after first plasma operation of W7-X

So after the very good first results, the team is now excited about the start of the next experimental period, which now counts for the reliable operation of the Hungarian camera system.

Video diagnostics camera positions(blue tubes) and views(green funnels) around Wendelstein-7X, new cameras built in are marked with red

The video diagnostics system was developed by the help of ProDSP Technologies Kft.(www.prodsp.hu) and CernTech Kft.(www.cerntech.hu)