Experimental verification of FOREV-2D simulations for the plasma shield

Abstract

Analysis of experiments in the MK-200UG facility dedicated to verify the FOREV-2D simulations of ITER core contamination with carbon vaporized during ELMs has been performed. In these experiments the carbon fibre composite (CFC) of NB31 grade have been treated with plasma heat fluxes relevant for ITER ELMs. The analysis revealed that thin layer of few hundred microns on CFC surface is damaged and its thermoconductivity effectively reduced approximately three times, but the CFC bulk has the reference thermoconductivity. Good agreement between the measured and the calculated profiles for carbon plasma electron density at various hydrogen plasma heat loads as well as the agreement between the measured and the simulated dependences of the absorbed energy density on the applied heat load provide reliable validation of the carbon plasma shields simulated with the FOREV-2D code. High carbon plasma shield densities of 10 23–10 24 m −3 predicted in the simulations for ELM-produced shields has been proved in these MK-200UG experiments.