The status of coupling the fluid plasma/neutral 2D transport code SOLPS-ITER and the fluid 3D turbulence code BOUT++ is reported. Both codes simulated the same region, which is from several cm inside the magnetic separatrix to the far scrape-off layer (SOL). Compared to the profile evolution time scale, the characteristic time scale of the turbulence is quite short. For the turbulence code BOUT++, the time scale is around 10−6 s. However, for the transport code SOLPS-ITER, the time scale is around 10−3–10−2 s. An iterative scheme is used that each system is evolved on its own characteristic time scale. SOLPS-ITER can provide the background profiles of density, ion, and electron temperature to BOUT++. In turn, BOUT++ can provide the corresponding radial transport coefficients to SOLPS-ITER. The coupling has involved the ion density, ion temperature, and electron temperature. After several steps of iteration, the profiles of density, ion, and electron temperature show fluctuations, and the differences of the changes between two consecutive profiles are getting smaller and smaller. Finally, the self-consistent solutions of turbulence and transport can be obtained.

SOLPS-ITER is used for modeling divertor plasmas in the experimental shot on the EAST tokamak with a carbon divertor. The modeling uses real divertor geometry and an MHD equilibrium from the shot. The modelled divertor configurations include upper single null (USN), disconnected double null (DDN) and lower single null (LSN). D 0 , D +1 , e − and carbon impurity species sputtered from the first wall are included in the multi-fluid simulations. Neutral particles are traced with EIRENE in which neutral-neutral collisions in triangular grids are considered. The default physics models in the code are employed. The cross-field transport coefficients D, χ e and χ i deduced from the profile measurements at the targets are used with the assumption of χ i = χ e , some of the deduced D are modified in the SOL and private regions and D, χ e , χ i in the core are adjusted in order to match better the experimental measurement at the target plates. Employed D, χ e and χ i drop from the core to the SOL, they may drop to neoclassic level within the edge transport barriers (ETBs). A ballooning effect on the transport coefficients is introduced. The computational contour profiles of electron temperature in the divertor regions and the computational profiles of plasma pressure and electron temperature at the mid-plane (the upstream) and at the target plate show the sheath limited (low recycling) operation regime. The calculated profiles of electron density n e , electron temperature T e , particle flux f , parallel ion saturation current j sat and parallel power flux P along the target plates of the divertor are compared to the experimental measurements. Using the deduced and adjusted cross-field transport coefficients, when the measurement errors are considered the calculated and measured profiles have a relatively good match, the computational profiles are similar to the measured profiles, the profiles peaked at the separatrix strike points. The most peak values f s of calculated profiles are in the range of the measured error-bars f e ± d, only in several matched profiles f s is out of the range of the errorbar, but, relative error error p does not exceed 46.55%. When full drifts are taken into account in the entire SOL and the private flux regions the calculated profiles have better match to the measured profiles and the modeling results show the drifts enhance the divertor asymmetry.