The primary objective of fusion research is to realize a thermonuclear fusion power plant. The main method to confine the hot plasma is by using a magnetic field. The reversed-field pinch is a type of magnetic confinement device which suffers from variety of magnetohy- drodynamic (MHD) instabilities. A particular unstable mode that is treated in this work is the resistive wall mode (RWM), which occurs due to the current gradient in the RFP and has growth rates of the order of the magnetic diffusion time of the wall. Application of control engineering tools appears to allow a robust and stable RFP operation.A model-based approach to stabilize the RWMs is pursued in this thesis. The approach consists of empirical modeling of RWMs using a class of subspace identification methodology. The obtained model is then used as a basis for a model based controller. In particular the first experimental results of using a predictive control for RWM stabilization are obtained. It is shown that the formulation of the model based controller allows the user to incorporate several physics relevant phenomena along with the stabilization of RWM. Another use of the model is shown to estimate and compensate the inherent error field. The results are encouraging, and the methods appear to be generically useful as research tools in controlled magnetic confinement fusion. / Fusionsforskningens primära mål är att förverkliga en ny typ av kraftverk baserade på termonukleär fusion. Den viktigaste metoden för att innesluta det heta plasmat är användandet av  magnetfält. ”Reverserat-fält pinch” (RFP) är en typ av anläggning för magnetisk inneslutning av fusionsplasma som uppvisar ett flertal magneto-hydrodynamiska instabiliteter. En specifik instabil mod som behandlas i detta arbete är”resistiv-vägg” moden (RWM). Den orsakas av strömgradienten i RFPn och tillväxer med en tidskonstant som är av samma storleksordning som magnetfältets diffusionstid i det omgivande metallskalet.  Tillämpning av verktyg från reglerteknikområdet förefaller tillåta en robust och stabil RFP drift. I detta arbete används ett modell-baserat tillvägagångssätt för kompensering av RWM. Det innefattar empirisk modellering av RWM med användning av ”subspace” system-identifieringsmetoder. Den erhållna modellen används sedan som grund för en modell-baserad regulator. De första experimentella resultaten från modell-prediktiv kompensering av RWM har erhållits.  I detta arbete har också visats att formuleringen av den modellbaserade regulatorn tillåter användaren att integrera flera relevanta fysikaliska aspekter förutom RWM. Ytterligare en användning av modellen är för att göra uppskattning och kompensering av avvikelser i anläggningens magnetfält, så kallade fält-fel. Resultaten är uppmuntrande, och det förefaller som om de undersökta metoderna är allmänt användbara som verktyg för forskning om magnetisk inneslutning av fusionsplasma. / <p>QC 20170202</p>

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) investigations of decaying isotropic turbulence and rectangular jets (RJ) are carried out. A novel MHD lattice Boltzmann scheme that combines multiple relaxation time (MRT) parameters for the velocity field with a single relaxation time (SRT) parameter for the Maxwell’s stress tensor is developed for this study. In the MHD homogeneous turbulence studies, the kinetic/magnetic energy and enstrophy decays, kinetic enstrophy evolution, and vorticity alignment with the strain-rate tensor are evaluated to assess the key physical MHD turbulence mechanisms. The magnetic and kinetic energies interact and exchange through the influence of the Lorentz force work. An initial random fluctuating magnetic field increases the vortex stretching and forward cascade mechanisms. A strong uniform mean magnetic field increases the anisotropy of the turbulent flow field and causes inverse cascading. In the RJ studies, an investigation into the MHD effects on velocity, instability, and the axis-switching phenomena is performed at various magnetic field strengths and Magnetic Reynolds Numbers. The magnetic field is found to decelerate the jet core, inhibit instability, and prevent axis-switching. The key physical mechanisms are: (i) the exchange of energy between kinetic and magnetic modes and (ii) the magnetic field effect on the vorticity evolution. From these studies, it is found that magnetic field influences momentum, vorticity, and energy evolution and the degree of modification depends on the field strength. This interaction changes vortex evolution, and alters turbulence processes and rectangular jet flow characteristics. Overall, this study provides more insight into the physics of MHD flows, which suggests possible applications of MHD Flow Control.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Texas at Arlington, 2009.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-91). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

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Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri--Rolla, 2007. / Vita. The entire thesis text is included in file. Title from title screen of thesis/dissertation PDF file (viewed March 25, 2008) Includes bibliographical references (p. 95-97).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2008. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xxvii, 375 p. : ill. (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 139-152).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2010. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xxii, 186 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1982. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 247-250).