JET ILW Research Articles

Influences of heating and plasma density on impurity production and transport during the ramp-down phase of JET ILW discharge

The aim of this paper is to study the influences of plasma heating and plasma density on impurity production and transport during the plasma-termination phase. We have analyzed the ramp-down (RD) phase of a set of representative high-current JET ITER-like wall discharges: #92 437 (disrupted) and #92 442 (soft landing), characterized by a high plasma current of I p = 3.5MA. Analysis is performed for different time slots within the RD phase, corresponding to different levels of electron line density and auxiliary heating power. Since the deuterium gas fluxes are different, the influence of the separatrix density is also analyzed. The main conclusion from the simulations is the observation that for the same average-electron density, a decrease of the separatrix density leads to an increase of the plasma temperature at the divertor plate, leading to increased W production and consequently to a larger W concentration and radiation in the core. When the central electron temperature approaches the 2 keV level, corresponding to the maximum W and Ni cooling rate, the radiation in the plasma’s center is enhanced. Ni radiation is more important in the RD phase.

Plasma-wall interaction on the divertor tiles of JET ITER-like wall from the viewpoint of micro/nanoscopic observations

Micro/nanoscopic observations on the surface of the divertor tiles used in the first campaign (2011–2012) of the JET tokamak with ITER-like Wall (JET ILW) have been carried out by means of several material analysis techniques. Previous results from the inner divertor were reported for a single poloidal section of the tile numbers 1, 3 and 4, i.e., upper, vertical and horizontal targets, respectively. The formation of the thick stratified mixed-material deposition layer on tiles 1 and 4, and erosion on tile 3 were identified. This study is mostly focused on the outer divertor: tiles 6, 7 and 8. In contrast to the inner tile, remarkable surface modifications have not been observed on the vertical target (tiles 7 and 8) where sputtering erosion and impurity deposition would have been almost balanced. Only a specific part of tile 6 (horizontal target) located near the exhaust channel was covered with a stratified (“geological-like”) mixed-material deposition layer which mainly included Be and Ni with the thickness of ∼2 μm. Special feature of this mixed layer was that a certain amount of nitrogen (N) was clearly detected in the layer. Since the concentration of N varied with the depth position, it could be depended on the amount of that gas puffed for plasma edge cooling during the JET experimental campaign. In addition to the outer divertor tiles, a very interesting feature of the local erosion and deposition effects is reported in this paper.

An analytical expression for ion velocities at the wall including the sheath electric field and surface biasing for erosion modeling at JET ILW

For simulation of plasma-facing component erosion in fusion experiments, an analytical expression for the ion velocity just before the surface impact including the local electric field and an optional surface biasing effect is suggested. Energy and angular impact distributions and the resulting effective sputtering yields were produced for several experimental scenarios at JET ILW mostly involving PFCs exposed to an oblique magnetic field. The analytic solution has been applied as an improvement to earlier ERO modelling of localized, Be outer limiter, RF-enhanced erosion, modulated by toggling of a remote, however magnetically connected ICRH antenna. The effective W sputtering yields due to D and Be ion impact in Type-I and Type-III ELMs and inter-ELM conditions were also estimated using the analytical approach and benchmarked by spectroscopy. The intra-ELM W sputtering flux increases almost 10 times in comparison to the inter-ELM flux.

Correlation analysis for energy losses, waiting times and durations of type I edge-localized modes in the Joint European Torus

Several important ELM control techniques are in large part motivated by the empirically observed inverse relationship between average ELM energy loss and ELM frequency in a plasma. However, to ensure a reliable effect on the energy released by the ELMs, it is important that this relation is verified for individual ELM events. Therefore, in this work the relation between ELM energy loss and waiting time is investigated for individual ELMs in a set of ITER-like wall plasmas in JET. A comparison is made with the results from a set of carbon-wall and nitrogen-seeded ITER-like wall JET plasmas. It is found that the correlation between W ELM and for individual ELMs varies from strongly positive to zero. Furthermore, the effect of the extended collapse phase often accompanying ELMs from unseeded JET ILW plasmas and referred to as the slow transport event (STE) is studied on the distribution of ELM durations, and on the correlation between W ELM and . A high correlation between W ELM and , comparable to CW plasmas is only found in nitrogen-seeded ILW plasmas. Finally, a regression analysis is performed using plasma engineering parameters as predictors for determining the region of the plasma operational space with a high correlation between W ELM and .

Micro-/nano-characterization of the surface structures on the divertor tiles from JET ITER-like wall

Micro-/nano-characterization of the surface structures on the divertor tiles used in the first campaign (2011–2012) of the JET tokamak with the ITER-like wall (JET ILW) were studied. The analyzed tiles were a single poloidal section of the tile numbers of 1, 3 and 4, i.e., upper, vertical and horizontal targets, respectively. A sample from the apron of Tile 1 was deposition-dominated. Stratified mixed-material layers composed of Be, W, Ni, O and C were deposited on the original W-coating. Their total thickness was ∼1.5μm. By means of transmission electron microscopy, nano-size bubble-like structures with a size of more than 100nm were identified in that layer. They could be related to deuterium retention in the layer dominated by Be. The surface microstructure of the sample from Tile 4 also showed deposition: a stratified mixed-material layer with the total thickness of 200–300nm. The electron diffraction pattern obtained with transmission electron microscope indicated Be was included in the layer. No bubble-like structures have been identified. The surface of Tile 3, originally coated by Mo, was identified as the erosion zone. This is consistent with the fact that the strike point was often located on that tile during the plasma operation. The study revealed the micro- and nano-scale modification of the inner tile surface of the JET ILW. In particular, a complex mixed-material deposition layer could affect hydrogen isotope retention and dust formation.

Plasma confinement at JET

Operation with a Be/W wall at JET (JET-ILW) has an impact on scenario development and energy confinement with respect to the carbon wall (JET-C). The main differences observed were (1) strong accumulation of W in the plasma core and (2) the need to mitigate the divertor target temperature to avoid W sputtering by Be and other low Z impurities and (3) a decrease of plasma energy confinement. A major difference is observed on the pedestal pressure, namely a reduction of the pedestal temperature which, due to profile stiffness the plasma core temperature is also reduced leading to a degradation of the global confinement. This effect is more pronounced in low βN scenarios. At high βN, the impact of the wall on the plasma energy confinement is mitigated by the weaker plasma energy degradation with power relative to the IPB98(y, 2) scaling calculated empirically for a CFC first wall. The smaller tolerable impurity concentration for tungsten (<10−5) compared to that of carbon requires the use of electron heating methods to prevent W accumulation in the plasma core region as well as gas puffing to avoid W entering the plasma core by ELM flushing and reduction of the W source by decreasing the target temperature. W source and the target temperature can also be controlled by impurity seeding. Nitrogen and Neon have been used and with both gases the reduction of the W source and the target temperature is observed. Whilst more experiments with Neon are necessary to assess its impact on energy confinement, a partial increase of plasma energy confinement is observed with Nitrogen, through the increase of edge temperature. The challenge for scenario development at JET is to extend the pulse length curtailed by its transient behavior (W accumulation or MHD), but more importantly by the divertor target temperature limits. Re-optimisation of the scenarios to mitigate the effect of the change of wall materials maintaining high global energy confinement similar to JET-C is underway and JET has successfully achieved H98(y,2) = 1 for plasma currents up to 2.5 MA at moderate βN.

R&D activities of tritium technologies on Broader Approach in Phase 2-2

Activities on Broader Approach (BA) were started in 2007. In Phase 2-2, many R&Ds, development of tritium accountancy technology, development of basic tritium safety research and tritium durability test, were implemented successfully by JAEA and Japanese Universities. In Phase 2-3, new collaborative study for tritium measurement and new R&D activities for JET ILW are started. R&D activities on BA have continued in Phase 2-3 (2014–2016).

ITER-like current ramps in JET with ILW: experiments, modelling and consequences for ITER

Since the ITER-like wall in JET (JET-ILW) came into operation, dedicated ITER-like plasma current (Ip) ramp-up (RU) and ramp-down (RD) experiments have been performed and matched to similar discharges with the carbon wall (JET-C). The experiments show that access to H-mode early in the Ip RU phase and maintaining H-mode in the Ip RD as long as possible are instrumental to achieve low internal plasma inductance (li) and to minimize flux consumption. In JET-ILW, at a given current rise rate similar variations in li (0.7–0.9) are obtained as in JET-C. In most discharges no strong W accumulation is observed. However, in some low density cases during the early phase of the Ip strong core radiation due to W influx led to hollow electron temperature (Te) profiles. In JET-ILW Zeff is significantly lower than in JET-C. W significantly disturbs the discharge evolution when the W concentration approaches 10−4; this threshold is confirmed by predictive transport modelling using the CRONOS code. Ip RD experiments in JET-ILW confirm the result of JET-C that sustained H-mode and elongation reduction are both instrumental in controlling li.

Experimental determination of the transient heat absorption of W divertor materials

Fast infrared (IR) thermography resolves the transient edge localized mode (ELM) induced heat fluxes on divertor components on time scales of a few hundred microseconds. These heat loads range from 10 to several 100 MW m−2 and energy densities of 15–200 kJ m−2. The calculation of the local ELM heat flux depends on the so-called surface heat transfer coefficient very sensitively. Therefore we performed dedicated experiments in the high heat flux test facility GLADIS with well-defined temporal and spatial shape of heat fluxes to reduce the uncertainties of the ELM heat flux calculations in JET. We have experimentally determined the surface heat transfer coefficient for the W components used as divertor components of the JET ILW project. Based on the results of the measured transient heat absorption, the coefficient was deduced in a temperature range from 400 to 1200 °C for the bulk W lamella and for 10 and 20 μm W-coated carbon fibre reinforced carbon tiles, respectively. The measurements allow an improved estimation of ELM heat loads in JET on W and W-coated tiles and an error estimate of the absorbed heat flux.

Beryllium migration and evolution of first wall surface composition in the JET ILW configuration

Material migration and the resulting evolution of plasma facing surfaces were studied at the beginning of the JET ILW campaign using the singular opportunity of well-defined initial conditions with virgin Be and W wall components. In a sequence of identical Ohmically heated discharges the evolution of wall material sources as well as that of residual impurity sources were studied by spectroscopic detection of suitable emission lines of corresponding neutral atom and singly charged ion species in the visible spectral range. The evolution of divertor surface composition resulting from wall material migration occurred at a similar time scale as previously observed in Be migration experiments in the JET carbon wall configuration. In contrast to these experiments with initial Be evaporation on the carbon main chamber wall, the JET ILW migration experiment is characterised by a continuous Be wall source because the main chamber wall now consists of bulk Be components. The experiment further reveals unexpectedly high Be deposition at W divertor surfaces already during preceding limiter discharges for system commissioning, which has implications for predictive modelling of the expected fuel retention in ITER.

Spectroscopic measurements of Be erosion at JET ILW and interpretation with ERO modelling

Beryllium (Be) erosion has been studied in dedicated limiter discharges in JET with the recently installed ITER-like wall [1]. Passive spectroscopy [2] in the vicinity of the solid Be limiter is used for measurement of the Be physical sputtering as the main erosion mechanism. To consider the 3D configuration of plasma parameters and the electromagnetic field, the actual limiter shape and the local transport affecting the fraction of Be coming into the observation volume, a detailed modelling with the ERO code has been applied to interpret the experimental data. The observed dependence of BeI and BeII line intensities on plasma parameters during the density scan and various line ratios are used to validate the model and the underlying data including the recently introduced assumptions for Be physical sputtering, the very same which were used before for ITER predictive modelling [3].

Wall conditioning of JET with the ITER-Like Wall

The initial conditioning cycle of JET ILW is analysed and compared with restart and operation in 2008 with a carbon dominated wall. Comparable water and oxygen decay times are observed during bake-out in both cases. Despite a 2 × 10−3 mbar l/s leak rate during plasma operation, no further wall conditioning has been necessary after plasma restart in ILW, which dramatically contrasts with 2008. Plasma O content is lower with the ILW. Higher O levels are measured after nights or week-ends, BeO layers being formed and re-eroded, but do not impact plasma operation and performance. First results on isotopic wall changeover by GDC on the ILW six months of the first D2 campaign evidence a reservoir of about 3 × 1022 atoms, i.e. ten time lower than in carbon PFCs. A study in JET of the glow discharge current distribution for different ratios of the ionization mean free paths to the vessel dimensions seems to indicate sufficient toroidal and poloidal homogeneity in ITER.

Modelling with COREDIV Code of JET ILW Configuration

AbstractIn this paper we present integrated numerical modeling for the first time applied to AT discharges with tungsten wall using the COREDIV code. We concentrate on numerical simulations of Ne seeded scenarios in the new ILW JET configuration. Results show that the JET operating space might be limited, with tungsten wall, to high density plasmas (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Modelling of Be transport in PSI experiments at PISCES-B

Light emission patterns of BeI and BeII in the PISCES-B divertor simulator were simulated using the 3D Monte-Carlo code ERO. Many additional physical effects, e.g. Be collisions with neutral particles, were implemented into the code and tested alongside with the underlying data (e.g. ionization rates) by detailed comparison with experimental observations. This analysis is important to fully understand the Be impurity transport, deposition and re-erosion in PISCES-B, which will form the basis to model the Be behaviour in the JET ILW project and ITER.