Comparison of H-mode plasmas in JET-ILW and JET-C with and without nitrogen seeding

Abstract

In high confinement mode, highly shaped plasmas with edge localized modes in JET, and for heating power of 15–17 MW, the edge fluid code EDGE2D-EIRENE predicts transition to detachment assisted by nitrogen at the low field side (LFS) target when more than 50% of the power crossing the separatrix between ELMs is radiated in the divertor chamber, i.e. ~4 MW. This is observed both in the ITER-like wall (JET-ILW) and in the carbon wall (JET-C) configurations and is consistent with experimental observations within their uncertainty. In these conditions, peak heat fluxes below 1 MW m−2 are measured at the LFS target and predicted for both wall configurations. When the JET-C configuration is replaced with the JET-ILW, a factor of two reduction in the divertor radiated power and 25–50% increase in the peak and total power deposited to the LFS divertor plate is predicted by EDGE2D-EIRENE for unseeded plasmas similar to experimental observations. At the detachment threshold, EDGE2D-EIRENE shows that nitrogen radiates more than 80% of the total divertor radiation in JET-ILW with beryllium contributing less than a few %. With JET-C, nitrogen radiates more than 70% with carbon providing less than 20% of the total radiation. Therefore, the lower intrinsic divertor radiation with JET-ILW is compensated by stronger nitrogen radiation contribution in simulations leading to detachment at similar total divertor radiation fractions. 20–100% higher deuterium molecular fraction in the divertor recycling fluxes is predicted with light JET-C materials when compared to heavy tungsten. EDGE2D-EIRENE simulations indicate that the stronger molecular contribution can reduce the divertor peak power deposition in high recycling conditions by 10–20% due to enhanced power dissipation by molecular interaction.