Two-dimensional modeling of disruption mitigation by gas injection

In ITER, wall damage after the disruptions can be mitigated using preventive massive gas injection (MGI) of noble gases into confined plasma. In the plasma the injected gas gets ionized and the core contamination results in fast loss of energy by radiation which distributes the wall load in a propitious way. For the modeling of MGI the tokamak code TOKES has been applied. This work reports further development of its models. The simulations earlier limited by the confinement region are expanded over the whole vessel of arbitrary wall shape. A simplified plasma model earlier employed for MGI is replaced by more adequate radiative model with dynamically changing level populations of plasma species. The processes in the plasma such as longitudinal motion, cross thermal conductivity and striking the wall are simulated neglecting wall response. The upgraded code is validated against an argon injection experiment of tokamak DIII-D.     

Sorption and desorption behavior of hydrogen isotopes from tungsten deposits caused by deuterium gas or deuterium plasma exposure

To understand the behavior of hydrogen isotopes in deposits formed on plasma-facing wall is an important issue for development of a fusion reactor. In this study, sorption/desorption behaviors of hydrogen isotopes when tungsten deposits were exposed to deuterium gas or deuterium plasma at 300 °C were investigated. Samples of tungsten deposits were produced by the sputtering method using hydrogen plasma. After deuterium gas exposure or deuterium plasma exposure, the desorption behavior of hydrogen isotopes from the deposit was observed by the thermal desorption spectroscopy method. It was found that not a small amount of deuterium is retained in tungsten deposit by not only the plasma exposure but also the gas exposure while the amount of hydrogen incorporated in the deposit during sputter-deposition process is reduced. The amount of deuterium retained in the deposit by the plasma exposure was larger than that by the gas exposure in the experimental conditions in this work. The amount of hydrogen left after deuterium plasma exposure was larger than that after deuterium gas exposure.     

Calculation of the behaviour of neutral hydrogen in the wall region of high temperature plasmas including wall interaction

In the wall regime of high temperature discharges (e.g. tokamak experiments) neutral hydrogen plays a dominating role. The neutrals influence the local particle density and energy losses, and contribute to wall interactions by desorption of adsorbed molecular and atomic species, sputtering and back-scattering. This investigation of the behaviour of the neutral component in the wall layer starts from the one-dimensional time dependent Boltzmann-equation for neutral hydrogen and assumes the data of the background plasma to be known. Charge exchange and ionisation processes are taken into account as well as interaction with the wall and an influx of atoms. Depending on density and temperature profiles of the background plasmas, the distribution function of the neutrals and their fluxes on to the wall are calculated for steady conditions. By solving the time dependent Boltzmann equation the relaxation time for the influx of cold neutral atoms into a tokamak plasma is also derived.     

The Characteristics of Columniform Surface Wave Plasma Excited Around a Quartz Rod by 2.45 GHz Microwaves

A novel surface wave plasma(SWP) source excited with cylindrical Teflon waveguide has been developed in our previous work. The plasma characteristics have been simply studied.In this work, our experimental device has been significantly improved by replacing the Teflon waveguide with a quartz rod, and then better microwave coupling and higher gas purity can be obtained during plasma discharge. The plasma spatial distributions, both in radial and axial directions, have been measured and the effect of gas pressure has been investigated. Plasma density profiles indicate that this plasma source can produce uniform plasma in an axial direction at low pressure, which shows its potential in plasma processing on a curved surface such as an inner tube wall. A simplified circular waveguide model has been used to explain the principle of plasma excitation. The distinguishing features and potential application of this kind of plasma source with a hardware improvement have been shown.     

Breakdown Voltage Research of Penning Gas Mixture in Plasma Display Panel

Paschen law and equations, which ignore the influence of the Penning ionization on the electron ionization coefficient （α）, are always used as the approximation of the breakdown voltage criterion of the Penning gas mixture in current researches of discharge characteristics of the plasma display panel （PDP）. It is doubtful that whether their results match the facts. Based on the Townsend gas self-sustaining discharge condition and the chemical kinetics analysis of the Penning gas mixture discharging in PDP, the empirical equation to describe the breakdown of the Penning gas mixture is given. It is used to calculate the breakdown voltage curves of Ne-Xe/MgO and Ne-Ar/MgO in a testing macroscopic discharge cell of AC-PDP. The effective secondary electron emission coefficients （γeff） of the MgO protective layers are derived by comparing the breakdown voltage curves obtained from the empirical equation with the experimental data of breakdown voltages. In comparison with the results calculated by the Paschen law and the equation which ignore the influence of the Penning ionization on α , the results calculated by the empirical equation have better conformity with experimental data. The empirical equation characterizes the breakdown of the Penning gas mixture in PDP effectively, and gives a convenient way to study its breakdown characteristics and the secondary electron emission behaviors.     

Analysis for hydrogen particle balance of plasma-wall system in the large helical device

The hydrogen particle balance of the plasma-wall system in the large helical device (LHD) is analyzed, using a zero dimensional model for plasma particles, neutrals in vessel and hydrogen inventory in wall. Based on the measurement of neutral gas pressure, plasma density and the pumping speed of the cryo-pumping system, it is found that the hydrogen retained in the wall desorbes with short and long time constant. The short term desorption is of order of 10²¹ atoms with a time constant of a few minutes, which is much smaller than the wall pumping for one shot, 10²² atoms. In a long time scale of about one experimental day, the wall absorbs significantly large amounts of hydrogen, up to 10²⁴ atoms. One of the possible reasons for the large wall pumping is a carbon deposition layer on the first wall surface. The effect of hydrogen retention on density control is also discussed.     

A close-form solution to predict the total melting time of an ablating slab in contact with a plasma

An exact melt-through time is derived for a one-dimensional heated slab in contact with a plasma when the melted material is immediately removed. The plasma is composed of a collisionless presheath and sheath on a slab, which partially reflects and secondarily emits ions and electrons. The energy transport from plasma to the surface accounting for the presheath and sheath is determined from the kinetic analysis. This work proposes a semi-analytical model to calculate the total melting time of a slab based on a direct integration of the unsteady heat conduction equation, and provides quantitative results applicable to control the total melting time of the slab. The total melting time as a function of plasma parameters and thermophysical properties of the slab are obtained. The predicted energy transmission factor as a function of dimensionless wall potential agrees well with the experimental data. The effects of reflectivities of the ions and electrons on the wall, electron-to-ion source temperature ratio at the presheath edge, charge number, ion-to-electron mass ratio, ionization energy, plasma flow work-to-heat conduction ratios, Stefan number, melting temperature, Biot number and bias voltage on the total melting time of the slab are quantitatively provided in this work.     

Miniaturized Argon Plasma: Neutral Gas Characteristics in Dielectric Barrier Discharge

Plasma-neutral gas dynamics is computationally investigated in a miniaturized microthruster that encloses Ar and contains dielectric material sandwiched between two metal plates using a two-dimensional plasma mode. Spatial and temporal plasma properties are investigated by solving the Poisson equation with the conservation equations of charged and excited neutral plasma species using the COMSOL Multiphysics 4.2b. The microthruster property is found to depend on the secondary electron emission coefficient. The electrohydrodynamic force(EHD) is calculated and found to be significant in the sheath area near the dielectric layer and is found to affect gas flow dynamics including the Ar excimer formation and density. The effects of pressure and secondary emission coefficient are discussed. The plasma characteristics are affected by small changes in the secondary electron emission coefficient, which could result from the dielectric erosion and aging, and is found to affect the electrohydrodynamic force produced when the microthruster is used to produce thrust for a small spacecraft.     

Electron-Vibrational Energy Exchange in Nitrogen-Containing Plasma: a Comparison Between an Analytical Approach and a Kinetic Model

This paper investigates the electron-vibrational (e-V) energy exchange in nitrogencontaining plasma,which is very efficient in the case of gas discharge and high speed flow.Based on Harmonic oscillator approximation and the assumption of the e-V relaxation through a continuous series of Boltzmann distributions over the vibrational states,an analytic approach is derived from the proposed scaling relation of e-V transition rates.A full kinetic model is then investigated by numerically solving the state-to-state master equation for all vibrational levels.The analytical approach leads to a Landau-Teller (LT)-type equation for relaxation of vibrational energy,and predicts the relaxation time on the right order of magnitude.By comparison with the kinetic model,the LT-type equation is valid in typical electron temperatures in gas discharge.However,the analytical approach is not capable of describing the vibrational distribution function during the e-V process in which a full kinetic model is required.     

On the impurity problem in quasi steady-state toroidal plasma experiments and fusion reactors

A simple equation for estimating the impurity build-up in a plasma due to sputtering is discussed under various assumptions. It is shown that the D-T burning time in an experiment (or reactor) without a divertor or cold gas blanket is one particle confinement time at most. If the accumulation of impurities in the center of the plasma cannot be avoided, steady-state operation of a reactor even with a divertor will not be achievable. The effect of neutron sputtering is included in the discussion.     

Induced Charge of Spherical Dust Particle on Plasma-facing Wall in Non-uniform Electric Field

Induced charge of a spherical dust particle on a plasma-facing wall was investigated analytically, where non-uniform electric field was applied externally. The one-dimensional nonuniform electrostatic potential was approximated by the polynomial of the normal coordinate toward the wall. The bipolar coordinate was introduced to solve the Laplace equation of the induced electrostatic potential. The boundary condition at the dust surface determines the unknown coefficients of the general solution of the Laplace equation for the induced potential. From the obtained potential the surface induced charge can be calculated. This result allows estimating the effect of the surrounding plasma, which shields the induced charge.     

Investigation on condensation in presence of a noncondensable gas for a wide range of Reynolds number

A theoretical model has been developed to study the local heat transfer coefficient of a condensing vapour in the presence of a noncondensable gas, where the gas/vapour mixture is flowing downward inside a vertical tube. The two-phase heat transfer is analysed using an annular flow pattern with a liquid film at the tube wall and a turbulent gas/vapour core. The gas/vapour core is modeled using the analogy between heat and mass transfer. The model incorporates Nusselt equation with McAdams modifier and Blangetti model for calculating the film heat transfer coefficient, Moody and Wallis correlations to account for film waviness effect on gas/vapour boundary layer. The suction effect due to condensation, developing flow and property variation of the gas phase is also considered. A comparative study of heat transfer coefficient and vapour mass flow rate has been made with various models to account for condensate film resistance and condensate film roughness. Results show that for very high Reynolds number, the condensation heat transfer coefficient is higher than the film heat transfer coefficient.     

A model for calculation of pressure in the duct due to discharge of gas from a failed fuel pin

In this paper an anlytical model for the calculation of the pressure pulse in hexagonal ducts due to discharge of gas from a failed fuel pin is developed. The analysis yields the time history of the pressure pulse which can be used in the calculation of permanent deformation of the duct or in the assessment of the susceptibility of the duct to fracture. In this model the analysis is divided into two stages. In the first stage the gas expands as a spherical bubble, but the influence of duct wall is taken into account. At the end of the first stage the spherical shape of the bubble is assumed to be lost and the gas is assumed to expand axially as a column. The end conditions of stage 1 are the initial conditions for stage 2. The analysis involves solving the continuity and momentum equations for the liquid along with the energy balance equation for the gas. In the analysis the liquid is assumed to be incompressible.     

A model for the performance of a vertical tube condenser in the presence of noncondensable gases

Some proposed vertical tube condensers are designed to operate at high noncondensable fractions, which warrants a simple model to predict their performance. Models developed thus far are usually not self-contained as they require the specification of the wall temperature to predict the local condensation rate. The present model attempts to fill this gap by addressing the secondary side heat transfer as well. Starting with a momentum balance which includes the effect of interfacial shear stress, a Nusselt-type algebraic equation is derived for the film thickness as a function of flow and geometry parameters. The heat and mass transfer analogy relations are then invoked to deduce the condensation rate of steam onto the tube wall. Lastly, the heat transfer to the secondary side is modelled to include cooling by forced, free or mixed convection flows. The model is used for parametric simulations to determine the impact on the condenser performance of important factors such as the inlet gas fraction, the mixture inlet flowrate, the total pressure, and the molecular weight of the noncondensable gas. The model performed simulations of some experiments with pure steam and air-steam mixtures flowing down a vertical tube. The model predicts the data quite well. The model described also provides a basis under which the presence of aerosol particles in the gas stream could be analyzed.     

Reducing Effective Liquid Wall Thickness in a HYLIFE-II Fusion Breeder

One of the major inertial fusion energy reactor designs is HYLIFE-II which uses protective flowing liquid wall between fusion plasma and solid first wall. The most attractive aspect of this reactor is that protective liquid wall eliminates the frequent replacement of the first wall structure during reactor lifetime. Liquid wall thickness must be at least the thickness required for supplying sufficient tritium for the deuterium–tritium (DT) driver and satisfying radiation damage on the first wall below the limits. Reducing this thickness results less pumping power requirements and cost of electricity. In this study, investigation on potential of utilizing refractory alloys (W-5Re, TZM and Nb-1Zr) as first wall to reduce effective liquid wall thickness in HYLIFE-II reactor using liquid wall of Flibe + 10 mol % UF₄ mixture. Neutron transport calculations were carried out with the help of the SCALE4.3 system by solving the Boltzmann transport equation with the XSDRNPM code in 238 neutron groups and a S₈-P₃ approximation. Numerical results showed that using W-5Re or TZM as first wall was effective in decreasing liquid wall thickness in contrast to Nb-1Zr.     

JT-60SA vacuum vessel manufacturing and assembly

The JT-60SA vacuum vessel (VV) has a D-shaped poloidal cross section and a toroidal configuration with 10° segmented facets. A double wall structure is adopted to ensure high rigidity at operational load and high toroidal one-turn resistance. The material is 316L stainless steel with low cobalt content (<0.05%). The design temperatures of the VV at plasma operation and baking are 50 °C and 200 °C, respectively. In the double wall, boric-acid water is circulated at plasma operation to reduce the nuclear heating of the superconducting magnets. For baking, nitrogen gas is circulated in the double wall after draining of the boric-acid water.The manufacturing of the VV started in November 2009 after a fundamental welding R&D and a trial manufacturing of 20° upper half mock-up. The manufacturing of the first VV 40° sector was completed in May 2011. A basic concept and required jigs of the VV assembly were studied.This paper describes the design and manufacturing of the vacuum vessel. A plan of VV assembly in torus hall is also presented.     

Higher resolution helium measuring system for deuterium plasma on EAST tokamak via normal Penning gauge

Although the deuterium and helium have almost the same mass,a Penning Optical Gas Analyzer(POGA) system on the basis of the spectroscopic method and Penning discharging has been designed on EAST,since 2014.The POGA system was developed successfully in 2015,it was the first time that EAST could detect helium partial pressure in deuterium plasma(wall conditioning and plasma operation scenario).With dedicated calibration and proper adjustment of the parameters,the minimum concentration of helium in deuterium gas can be measured as about 0.5% instead of 1% on the other tokamak devices.Moreover,the He and D_2 partial pressures are measured simultaneously.At present,the measurable range of deuterium partial pressure is 1?×?10~(-7)mbar to 1?×?10~(-5)mbar,meanwhile the range of helium is 1?×?10~(-8) mbar to 1?×?10~(-5)mbar.The measurable range can be modified by means of the adjustment of POGA system's parameters.It is possible to detect the interesting part of the gas with a time resolution of less than 5 ms(the 200 ms because of conductance of transfer pipe at present).The POGA system was routinely employed to wall conditioning and helium enrichment investigation in2015.Last but not the least,the low temperature plasma of POGA is generated by normal penning gauge Pfeiffer IKR gauge instead of Alcatel CF2 P,which has been suspended for a few years and was used for almost all the POGA systems in the world.     

On the Physics of Improved Confinement During Pulsed Poloidal Current Drive in MST Reversed-Field Pinch

Reduction of core-resonant magnetic fluctuations and improved confinement in the Madison Symmetric Torus reversed-field pinch (MST RFP) have been routinely achieved by applying the surface poloidal electric field. The created inductive poloidal electric field drives current in plasma which leads to the improved confinement. To study the effect we developed a relatively simple 1-D model in cylindrical geometry which assumes poloidal and axial symmetry during the drive. We use resistive magnetohydrodynamics model with realistic plasma parameters and assume that there is a vacuum gap between plasma boundary and conducting wall of the vessel. Evolution of plasma density is taken into account and plasma boundary moves self-consistently with momentum equation. We start from an initial unstable equilibrium and examine stability of plasma configuration at intermediate moments of time during the drive. For this we calculate the growth rates of unstable eigenmodes in the plasma. Our results show that the modifications to the plasma current profile during the drive are stabilizing. The initial stabilization is due to the direct modification of the current profile near the edge. It enhances later in time due to the flattening of λ profile in the core region as plasma and magnetic field compress inward during the drive.