Material behavior and materials problems in TFTR

The major increase in discharge duration and plasma energy in a next step DT fusion reactor will give rise to important plasma-material effects that will critically influence its operation, safety and performance. Erosion will increase to a scale of several centimetres from being barely measurable at a micron scale in today's tokamaks. Tritium co-deposited with carbon will strongly affect the operation of machines with carbon plasma facing components. Controlling plasma-wall interactions is critical to achieving high performance in present day tokamaks, and this is likely to continue to be the case in the approach to practical fusion reactors. Recognition of the important consequences of these phenomena stimulated an internationally co-ordinated effort in the field of plasma-surface interactions supporting the Engineering Design Activities of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project (ITER), and significant progress has been made in better understanding these issues. The paper reviews the underlying physical processes and the existing experimental database of plasma-material interactions both in tokamaks and laboratory simulation facilities for conditions of direct relevance to next step fusion reactors. Two main topical groups of interaction are considered: (i) erosion/redeposition from plasma sputtering and disruptions, including dust and flake generation and (ii) tritium retention and removal. The use of modelling tools to interpret the experimental results and make projections for conditions expected in future devices is explained. Outstanding technical issues and specific recommendations on potential R&D avenues for their resolution are presented.

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“…Studies were made of dust removed from TFTR in 1987 [728]. Studies were also made in the period 1987 to 1992 of dust collected from JET.…”

Section: Dust Found In Tokamaksmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Assuming the majority of the tritons are thermalised by the plasma [726], then the 2.7x10 During maintenance periods in between deuterium operations at both JET and TFTR, tritium was released from the PFCs by isotopic-exchange with water molecules [728][729][730].…”

Section: Jt-60umentioning

confidence: 99%

Plasma-material interactions in current tokamaks and their implications for next step fusion reactors

et al. 2001

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“…A wide variation in the amount of dust found in the vessel following operational periods on TFTR has been reported [6,7]. The amount of debris has varied from several grams161 to a few kg [7].…”

Section: Tritiated Dustmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For ITER a means of tritium removal will be essential to successful long term operation. Dust has been observed in tokamaks with graphite internal hardware following operational periods [6,7]. This dust may present explosive and radiological hazards in the event of a sudden vent to air for ITER.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tritium retention and removal on TFTR

Mueller

Blanchard²,

Doyle³

et al.

17th IEEE/NPSS Symposium Fusion Engineering (Cat. No.97CH36131)

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-Tritium retention and removal are critical issues for the success of ITER or any DT fusion reactor. The Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor, TFTR, is the first fusion facility to afford the opportunity to study the tritium retention and removal over an extended period. In TFTR, tritium accumulates on all surfaces with line of sight to the plasma by codeposition of tritium with carbon. Measurements of both deuterium and tritium retention fractions have yielded retention between 0.2 and 0.6 of the injected fuel in the torus. Tritium has been successfully removed from TFTR by glow discharge cleaning and by air purges. The in-vessel inventory was reduced by a factor of 2, facilitating machine maintenance. In TFTR, the amount of dust recovered from the TJTR vacuum vessel has varied from several grams to a few kilograms.

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“…During maintenance periods in between deuterium operations at both JET and TFTR, tritium was released from the PFCs by isotopic-exchange with water molecules [728][729][730].…”

Section: Jt-60umentioning

confidence: 99%

Plasma-material Interactions in Current Tokamaks and their Implications for Next-step Fusion Reactors

Federici¹,

Skinner²,

Brooks³

et al. 2001

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This Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik (IPP), Garching, Germany, report is intended for internal use. IPP reports express the views of the authors at the time of writing and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik or the final opinion of the authors on the subject. Neither the Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, nor the Euratom Commission, nor any person acting on behalf of either of these: (1) gives any guarantee as to the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in this report, or that the use of any information, apparatus, method or process disclosed therein may not constitute an infringement of private owned right; or (2) assumes any liability for damage resulting from the use of any information, apparatus, method or process in this report.

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Material behavior and materials problems in TFTR

Cited by 24 publications

References 29 publications

Plasma-material interactions in current tokamaks and their implications for next step fusion reactors

Plasma-material interactions in current tokamaks and their implications for next step fusion reactors

Tritium retention and removal on TFTR

Plasma-material Interactions in Current Tokamaks and their Implications for Next-step Fusion Reactors

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