Hydrogen retention in plasma-facing materials and its consequences on tokamak operation

Abstract

The current status of research in the area of hydrogen retention and release for the prime candidate plasma-facing materials is briefly reviewed. Physical understanding of the basic problems of hydrogen behavior in the surface layers and material bulk of graphite, beryllium and tungsten is emphasized. The data base in the field obtained in laboratory set-ups permits more thorough consideration of the recent experimental results in large tokamaks. It is known that hydrogen isotopes retention and release has a great influence on tokamak operating conditions and its plasma parameters. The processes occurring in tokamaks with hydrogen participation, such as recycling, fuelling, codeposition, isotopic exchange and conditioning, now can be better understood, explained and controlled. Some consequences of hydrogen isotopes behavior in plasma and plasma-facing materials are described for long pulse tokamak operation.