Effects of power supply limits on control of MHD instabilities in fusion devices

The evolution of plasma inside toroidal magnetic fusion devices can be often described by Magneto-Hydro-Dynamics (MHD) equations, which may predict the existence of unstable modes of evolution; this requires a feedback control system. Due to current/voltage limitations, there might be situations in which the power supply may not deliver the required current/voltage. This influences the effectiveness of the control and may even lead to a premature termination of the experiment. This paper presents a model-based quantification of the maximum plasma perturbation that the vertical stabilization system can counteract in ITER, due to given limitations in terms of maximum voltage of the power supplies.