Transport simulations of the ignited ITER with high helium fraction

Abstract

Computer simulations with special versions of the one dimensional BALDUR predictive transport code are carried out to investigate the particle confinement of helium and hydrogen, the energy confinement and the burn control in the high density scenario of the ITER (CDA) physics phase. The code uses empirical transport coefficients for ELMy H mode plasmas, an improved model of the scrape-off layer (SOL), an impurity radiation model for helium and iron, and fast burn control by neutral beam injection feedback. A self-sustained thermonuclear burn is achieved for hundreds of seconds. The necessary radiation corrected energy confinement time τE is found to be 4.2 s, which is attainable according to the ITER H mode scaling. In the ignited ITER, a significant dilution of the DT fuel by helium takes place. Steady state helium fractions of up to 8% are obtained, which are found to be compatible with self-sustained burn. The SOL model yields self-consistent electron densities and temperatures at the separatrix (ne = 5.8 × 1019 m-3, Te = 80 eV)