Work is in progress to completely replace, in 2008/9, the existing JET CFC tiles with a configuration of plasma facing materials consistent with the ITER design. The ITER-like Wall (ILW) will be created with a combination of beryllium (Be), tungsten (W), W-Coated CFC and Be-Coated inconel tiles, with the material depending on the local anticipated heat flux and geometry. It is part of an integrated package of JET enhancements whose aim is to develop an understanding of the ITER materials issues and develop the techniques required to operate with inductive and advanced scenarios as close as possible to ITER parameters. Over 4000 tiles will be replaced and the ILW will accommodate additional heating up to at least 50 MW for 10 s. This paper describes the scientific background to the project, the technical objectives, the material configuration selected, the R&D behind the practical realisation of the objectives and the generic problems associated with the Be tiles (power handling capacity and disruption induced eddy currents). One of the objectives is to maintain or improve the existing CFC tile power handling performance which has been achieved in most cases by hiding bolt holes, optimising tile size and profile and introducing castellations on plasma facing surfaces.
The provision of a particle and power exhaust solution which is compatible with first-wall components and edge-plasma conditions is a key area of present-day fusion research and mandatory for a successful operation of ITER and DEMO. The work package plasma-facing components (WP PFC) within the European fusion programme complements with laboratory experiments, i.e. in linear plasma devices, electron and ion beam loading facilities, the studies performed in toroidally confined magnetic devices, such as JET, ASDEX Upgrade, WEST etc. The connection of both groups is done via common physics and engineering studies, including the qualification and specification of plasma-facing components, and by modelling codes that simulate edge-plasma conditions and the plasma-material interaction as well as the study of fundamental processes. WP PFC addresses these critical points in order to ensure reliable and efficient use of conventional, solid PFCs in ITER (Be and W) and DEMO (W and steel)
Since the installation of an ITER-like wall, the JET programme has focused on the consolidation of ITER design choices and the preparation for ITER operation, with a specific emphasis given to the bulk tungsten melt experiment, which has been crucial for the final decision on the material choice for the day-one tungsten divertor in ITER. Integrated scenarios have been progressed with the re-establishment of long-pulse, high-confinement H-modes by optimizing the magnetic configuration and the use of ICRH to avoid tungsten impurity accumulation. Stationary discharges with detached divertor conditions and small edge localized modes have been demonstrated by nitrogen seeding. The differences in confinement and pedestal behaviour before and after the ITER-like wall installation have been better characterized towards the development of high fusion yield scenarios in DT. Post-mortem analyses of the plasma-facing components have confirmed the previously reported low fuel retention obtained by gas balance and shown that the pattern of deposition within the divertor has changed significantly with respect to the JET carbon wall campaigns due to the absence of thermally activated chemical erosion of beryllium in contrast to carbon. Transport to remote areas is almost absent and two orders of magnitude less material is found in the divertor.
The ITER reference materials have been tested separately in tokamaks, plasma simulators,
We report for the first time on the ability of Raman microscopy to give information on the structure and composition of Be related samples mimicking plasma facing materials that will be found in ITER. For that purpose, we investigate two types of material. First: Be, W, Be 1 W 9 , and Be 5 W 5 deposits containing a few percents of D or N, and second: a Mo mirror exposed to plasma in the main JET chamber (in the framework of the first mirror test in JET with ITER-like wall). We performed atomic quantifications using ion beam analysis for the first samples. We also did atomic force microscopy. We found defect induced Raman bands in Be, Be 1 W 9 , and Be 5 W 5 deposits. Molybdenum oxide has been identified showing an enhancement due to a resonance effect in the UV domain.
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