Recent DIII-D divertor research

Abstract

DIII-D currently operates with a single- or double-null open divertor and graphite walls. Active particle control with a divertor cryopump has demonstrated density control, efficient helium exhaust, and reduction of the inventory of particles in the wall. Gas puffing of D2 and impurities has demonstrated reduction of the peak divertor heat flux by factors of 3-5 by radiation. A combination of active cryopumping and feedback-controlled D2 gas puffing has produced similar divertor heat flux reduction with density control. Experiments with neon puffing have shown that the radiation is equally-divided between a localized zone near the X-point and a mantle around the plasma core. The density in these experiments has also been controlled with cryopumping. These experimental results combined with modeling were used to develop the new radiative divertor for DIII-D. This is a double-null slot divertor with four cryopumps to provide particle control and neutral shielding for high-triangularity advanced tokamak discharges UEDGE and DEGAS simulations, benchmarked to experimental data, have been used to optimize the design.