Shattered pellet technology development in the ITER DMS test laboratory

Abstract

A support laboratory for the ITER Disruption Mitigation System has been set up at the Centre for Energy Research, Budapest, Hungary. It consists of a cryogenic pellet injector capable of producing, launching and shattering 19 × 38 and 28.5 × 55 mm (d x L) cryogenic pellets. Up to now more than 300 pellets made of hydrogen, deuterium, neon and mixtures thereof have been formed and launched . Nearly all pellets flew through the 4 m long, 60 mm diameter flight tube, which represents the ITER flight path between the propellant recovery chamber and the shattering head. Initial analysis of the fragment plumes produced by an open shattering head indicate that they extend 3 times further parallel to the shattering plate than perpendicularly to it. The results show that the large pellets needed for the ITER SPI system can be produced and launched.