This paper presents the results of a preliminary assessment conducted to estimate the thermal response and erosion lifetime of the ITER divertor targets clad either with carbon-fibre composite or tungsten during type I ELMs. The one-dimensional thermal/erosion model, used for the analyses, is briefly described. It includes all the key surface heat transfer processes such as evaporation, melting, and radiation, and their interaction with the bulk thermal response, and it is based on an implicit finite-difference scheme, which allows for temperature-dependent material properties.The cases analysed clarify the influence of several ELM parameters on the heat transfer and erosion processes at the target (i.e. characteristic plasma ELM energy loss from the pedestal, fraction of the energy reaching the divertor, broadening of the strike-points during ELMs, duration and waveform of the ELM heat load) and design/material parameters (i.e. inclination of the target, type and thickness of the armour material, and for tungsten only, fraction of the melt layer loss). Comparison is made between cases where all ELMs are characterized by the same fixed averaged parameters, and cases where instead the characteristic parameters of each ELM are evaluated in a random fashion by using a standard Monte Carlo technique, based on distributions of some of the variables of interest derived from experiments in today's machines.Although uncertainties rule out providing firm quantitative predictions, the results of this study are useful to illustrate trends. Based on the results, the implications on the design and operation are discussed and priorities are determined for the R&D needed to reduce the remaining uncertainties.
Abstract. Operation of DEMO in comparison to ITER will be significantly more demanding, as various additional limitations of physical and technical nature have to be respected. In particular a set of extremely restrictive boundary conditions on divertor operation during and in between ELMs will have to be respected. It is of high importance to describe these limitations in order to consider them as early as possible in the ongoing development of the DEMO concept design. This paper extrapolates the existing physics basis on power and particle exhaust to DEMO.In phases between ELMs or with mitigated ELMs surface overheating and W sputtering pose challenging boundary conditions. For attached divertor conditions at 90% total radiation fraction a peak power density of about 15MW/m 2 convected or radiated to the outer divertor is estimated. As this clearly exceeds the tolerable limit, some degree of divertor detachment is regarded as essential for the operation of DEMO. A loss of detachment with a peak power density of more than 30MW/m 2 can not be tolerated for more than a second before the divertor would suffer from a destructive event. The combination of the limitations on the peak power flux density and W sputtering rate necessitates divertor temperatures less than 4eV.For uncontrolled ELMs sizes in the order of 100MJ are estimated. Results on ELM broadening from JET suggest that in DEMO an energy density limit of 0.5MJ/m 2 per ELM is exceeded by a factor of about 8 for a large range of relative ELM sizes. This highlights the necessity of a reactor-relevant ELM control technique for DEMO, which is capable of reducing the maximum size of the energy loss per ELM to the divertor by more than an order of magnitude without a strong reduction of confinement.
Abstract. Applying liquid metals as Plasma Facing Components for fusion powerexhaust can potentially ameliorate lifetime issues as well as limitations to the maximum allowed surface heat loads by allowing for a more direct contact with the coolant. The material choice has so far been focused on lithium (Li) as it showed beneficial impact on plasma operation. Here materials such as tin (Sn), gallium (Ga) and aluminum (Al) are discussed as alternatives potentially allowing higher operating temperatures without strong evaporation. Power loads of up to 25MW/m 2 for a Sn/W component can be envisioned based on calculations and modeling. Reaching a higher operating temperature due to material re-deposition will be discussed. Liquids are typically facing stability issues due to j × B forces, potential pressure and MHD driven instabilities. The Capillary Porous System is used for stabilization by a mesh (W,Mo) substrate and replenishment by means of capillary action.
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