SOLPS-ITER simulation of W limiter start-up on ITER

The switch from beryllium (Be) to tungsten (W) first wall (FW) armor in the new ITER baseline Pitts et al (2025 Nucl. Mater. Energy 42 101854), Loarte (n.d. Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion ) will impact the limiter start-up phase due to the much higher radiated power associated with W impurity. To asse...

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Main Authors: Y. Zhang, A.A. Pshenov, R.A. Pitts, X. Bonnin, M. Dubrov, Y. Gribov, A. Kirschner, C. Baumann, S. Brezinsek, J. Romazanov, Chaofeng Sang, Dezhen Wang
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Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:Nuclear Fusion
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/adcd85
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author Y. Zhang
A.A. Pshenov
R.A. Pitts
X. Bonnin
M. Dubrov
Y. Gribov
A. Kirschner
C. Baumann
S. Brezinsek
J. Romazanov
Chaofeng Sang
Dezhen Wang
author_facet Y. Zhang
A.A. Pshenov
R.A. Pitts
X. Bonnin
M. Dubrov
Y. Gribov
A. Kirschner
C. Baumann
S. Brezinsek
J. Romazanov
Chaofeng Sang
Dezhen Wang
author_sort Y. Zhang
collection DOAJ
description The switch from beryllium (Be) to tungsten (W) first wall (FW) armor in the new ITER baseline Pitts et al (2025 Nucl. Mater. Energy 42 101854), Loarte (n.d. Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion ) will impact the limiter start-up phase due to the much higher radiated power associated with W impurity. To assess this impact, a large database of SOLPS-ITER simulations of the hydrogen (H) plasmas in contact with the tungsten (W) limiter has been constituted, including transport of all individual W charge states up to a given cut-off. It has been shown that the plasma-limiter system exhibits strong self-regulating properties due to the strong dependence of W self-sputtering on the electron temperature at the last closed flux surface (LCFS). This self-regulation limits the power ( P _LCFS ) crossing the LCFS into the scrape-off layer (SOL), resulting in high core radiated fractions ( f _rad ), but at the same time reducing the FW heat loads. Regression within the database also permits the derivation of a simple scaling relationship between the plasma temperature and density at the LCFS and the heating power which is used to construct a boundary condition for time-dependent scenario simulations. Simulations of W prompt redeposition using the ERO code for selected plasma backgrounds in the database found that 25%–45% of the eroded W particles reside in plasma for less than a gyration time. The reverse effect of the prompt redeposition on the background solution, assessed by re-running SOLPS-ITER with reduced W sputtering yield, proved have a greater effect on the solution than the impact of SOL plasma transport variation. Self-consistent simulations with an appropriate prompt redeposition model are therefore required to improve the prediction for ITER and to validate the code against W limiter start-up experiments on current devices. To assess the consequence of the inevitable background impurities present in real tokamak start-up plasmas, some preliminary simulations have also been performed with feedback-controlled nitrogen (N) seeding. It is found that even moderate N content leads to saturation of P _LCFS , and hence f _rad , with respect to plasma density variation. The plasma density increase with seeding leads to redistribution of radiation between the W and N, preferentially cooling the edge in comparison with pure plasmas.
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spelling doaj-art-111f695e4e3947b2b058b4e3584782ac2025-08-20T03:14:17ZengIOP PublishingNuclear Fusion0029-55152025-01-0165505603510.1088/1741-4326/adcd85SOLPS-ITER simulation of W limiter start-up on ITERY. Zhang0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5188-0576A.A. Pshenov1R.A. Pitts2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9455-2698X. Bonnin3M. Dubrov4Y. Gribov5A. Kirschner6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3213-3225C. Baumann7https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7712-5379S. Brezinsek8https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7213-3326J. Romazanov9https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9439-786XChaofeng Sang10https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6861-5242Dezhen Wang11https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0517-7318Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams (Ministry of Education), School of Physics, Dalian University of Technology , Dalian 116024, ChinaITER Organization , Route de Vinon-sur-Verdon, CS 90 046, 13067 St Paul Lez Durance Cedex, FranceITER Organization , Route de Vinon-sur-Verdon, CS 90 046, 13067 St Paul Lez Durance Cedex, FranceITER Organization , Route de Vinon-sur-Verdon, CS 90 046, 13067 St Paul Lez Durance Cedex, FranceITER Organization , Route de Vinon-sur-Verdon, CS 90 046, 13067 St Paul Lez Durance Cedex, FranceITER Organization , Route de Vinon-sur-Verdon, CS 90 046, 13067 St Paul Lez Durance Cedex, FranceForschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute of Fusion Energy and Nuclear Waste Management—Plasma Physics , 52425 Jülich, GermanyForschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute of Fusion Energy and Nuclear Waste Management—Plasma Physics , 52425 Jülich, GermanyForschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute of Fusion Energy and Nuclear Waste Management—Plasma Physics , 52425 Jülich, GermanyForschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute of Fusion Energy and Nuclear Waste Management—Plasma Physics , 52425 Jülich, GermanyKey Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams (Ministry of Education), School of Physics, Dalian University of Technology , Dalian 116024, ChinaKey Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams (Ministry of Education), School of Physics, Dalian University of Technology , Dalian 116024, ChinaThe switch from beryllium (Be) to tungsten (W) first wall (FW) armor in the new ITER baseline Pitts et al (2025 Nucl. Mater. Energy 42 101854), Loarte (n.d. Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion ) will impact the limiter start-up phase due to the much higher radiated power associated with W impurity. To assess this impact, a large database of SOLPS-ITER simulations of the hydrogen (H) plasmas in contact with the tungsten (W) limiter has been constituted, including transport of all individual W charge states up to a given cut-off. It has been shown that the plasma-limiter system exhibits strong self-regulating properties due to the strong dependence of W self-sputtering on the electron temperature at the last closed flux surface (LCFS). This self-regulation limits the power ( P _LCFS ) crossing the LCFS into the scrape-off layer (SOL), resulting in high core radiated fractions ( f _rad ), but at the same time reducing the FW heat loads. Regression within the database also permits the derivation of a simple scaling relationship between the plasma temperature and density at the LCFS and the heating power which is used to construct a boundary condition for time-dependent scenario simulations. Simulations of W prompt redeposition using the ERO code for selected plasma backgrounds in the database found that 25%–45% of the eroded W particles reside in plasma for less than a gyration time. The reverse effect of the prompt redeposition on the background solution, assessed by re-running SOLPS-ITER with reduced W sputtering yield, proved have a greater effect on the solution than the impact of SOL plasma transport variation. Self-consistent simulations with an appropriate prompt redeposition model are therefore required to improve the prediction for ITER and to validate the code against W limiter start-up experiments on current devices. To assess the consequence of the inevitable background impurities present in real tokamak start-up plasmas, some preliminary simulations have also been performed with feedback-controlled nitrogen (N) seeding. It is found that even moderate N content leads to saturation of P _LCFS , and hence f _rad , with respect to plasma density variation. The plasma density increase with seeding leads to redistribution of radiation between the W and N, preferentially cooling the edge in comparison with pure plasmas.https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/adcd85SOLPS-ITERtungsten limiterplasma start-upITER
spellingShingle Y. Zhang
A.A. Pshenov
R.A. Pitts
X. Bonnin
M. Dubrov
Y. Gribov
A. Kirschner
C. Baumann
S. Brezinsek
J. Romazanov
Chaofeng Sang
Dezhen Wang
SOLPS-ITER simulation of W limiter start-up on ITER
Nuclear Fusion
SOLPS-ITER
tungsten limiter
plasma start-up
ITER
title SOLPS-ITER simulation of W limiter start-up on ITER
title_full SOLPS-ITER simulation of W limiter start-up on ITER
title_fullStr SOLPS-ITER simulation of W limiter start-up on ITER
title_full_unstemmed SOLPS-ITER simulation of W limiter start-up on ITER
title_short SOLPS-ITER simulation of W limiter start-up on ITER
title_sort solps iter simulation of w limiter start up on iter
topic SOLPS-ITER
tungsten limiter
plasma start-up
ITER
url https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/adcd85
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