Combining research with safety: Performance of the Wendelstein 7-X video diagnostic system

Abstract A multi-purpose overview video system, based on EDICAM cameras, was set up at Wendelstein 7-X stellarator, in order to fulfill both machine protection and scientific observation purposes. Places of strong plasma-wall interaction, which can easily evolve to hot-spots, were detected by the EDICAM operators during plasma operation, based on intense local light emission. The EDICAM system was successfully used to avoid hot-spot formation during the commissioning of magnetic configurations with plasma operation. Featuring non-destructive readout capability, smaller areas of the torus interior could be monitored ca. two orders of magnitude faster, in parallel to the normal full frame overview. These fast measurements could be used to show the presence of plasma turbulence (filaments), also detected by other diagnostic systems.