Integrated modeling of boron powder injection for real-time plasma-facing component conditioning
An integrated modeling framework for investigating the application of solid boron (B) powder injection for real-time surface conditioning of plasma-facing components (PFCs) in tokamak environments is presented. Utilizing the DIII-D impurity powder dropper (IPD) setup, this study simulates B powder i...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Nuclear Materials and Energy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352179124002552 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850037399942332416 |
|---|---|
| author | F. Effenberg K. Schmid F. Nespoli A. Bortolon Y. Feng B.A. Grierson J.D. Lore R. Maingi D.L. Rudakov |
| author_facet | F. Effenberg K. Schmid F. Nespoli A. Bortolon Y. Feng B.A. Grierson J.D. Lore R. Maingi D.L. Rudakov |
| author_sort | F. Effenberg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | An integrated modeling framework for investigating the application of solid boron (B) powder injection for real-time surface conditioning of plasma-facing components (PFCs) in tokamak environments is presented. Utilizing the DIII-D impurity powder dropper (IPD) setup, this study simulates B powder injection scenarios ranging from milligrams to tens of milligrams per second, corresponding to boron flux rates of 1020–1021 B/s in standard L-mode conditions. The comprehensive modeling approach combines EMC3-EIRENE for simulating the deuterium plasma background and the Dust Injection Simulator (DIS) for the ablation and transport of the boron powder particles. EMC3 trace impurity fluid modeling results show substantial boron transport to the inboard lower divertor, predominantly influenced by the main ion plasma flow. The dependency on powder particle size (5–250μm) was found to be insignificant for the scenario considered. The effects of erosion and redeposition were considered to reconcile the discrepancies with experimental observations, which saw substantial deposition on the outer divertor plasma-facing components. For this purpose, the WallDYN3D code was updated to include boron sources within the plasma domain and integrated into the modeling framework. The mixed-material migration modeling shows evolving boron deposition patterns, suggesting the formation of mixed B-C layers or predominantly B coverage depending on the powder mass flow rate. While the modeling outcomes at lower B injection rates tend to align with DIII-D experimental observations, the prediction of near-pure boron layers at higher rates has yet to be experimentally verified in the carbon environment of the DIII-D tokamak. The extensive reach of boron layers found in the modeling suggests the need for modeling that encompasses the entire wall geometry for more accurate experimental correlations. This integrated approach sets a precedent for analyzing and applying real-time in-situ boron coating techniques in advanced tokamak scenarios, potentially extendable to ITER. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4bada4ea7c0d47c9b6a7c6f8eae372b2 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2352-1791 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nuclear Materials and Energy |
| spelling | doaj-art-4bada4ea7c0d47c9b6a7c6f8eae372b22025-08-20T02:56:52ZengElsevierNuclear Materials and Energy2352-17912025-03-014210183210.1016/j.nme.2024.101832Integrated modeling of boron powder injection for real-time plasma-facing component conditioningF. Effenberg0K. Schmid1F. Nespoli2A. Bortolon3Y. Feng4B.A. Grierson5J.D. Lore6R. Maingi7D.L. Rudakov8Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ 08543, USA; Corresponding author.Max–Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, 85748 Garching b. München, GermanyPrinceton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ 08543, USAPrinceton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ 08543, USAMax–Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, 17491 Greifswald, GermanyGeneral Atomics, San Diego, CA 92186, USAOak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USAPrinceton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ 08543, USAUniversity of California - San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USAAn integrated modeling framework for investigating the application of solid boron (B) powder injection for real-time surface conditioning of plasma-facing components (PFCs) in tokamak environments is presented. Utilizing the DIII-D impurity powder dropper (IPD) setup, this study simulates B powder injection scenarios ranging from milligrams to tens of milligrams per second, corresponding to boron flux rates of 1020–1021 B/s in standard L-mode conditions. The comprehensive modeling approach combines EMC3-EIRENE for simulating the deuterium plasma background and the Dust Injection Simulator (DIS) for the ablation and transport of the boron powder particles. EMC3 trace impurity fluid modeling results show substantial boron transport to the inboard lower divertor, predominantly influenced by the main ion plasma flow. The dependency on powder particle size (5–250μm) was found to be insignificant for the scenario considered. The effects of erosion and redeposition were considered to reconcile the discrepancies with experimental observations, which saw substantial deposition on the outer divertor plasma-facing components. For this purpose, the WallDYN3D code was updated to include boron sources within the plasma domain and integrated into the modeling framework. The mixed-material migration modeling shows evolving boron deposition patterns, suggesting the formation of mixed B-C layers or predominantly B coverage depending on the powder mass flow rate. While the modeling outcomes at lower B injection rates tend to align with DIII-D experimental observations, the prediction of near-pure boron layers at higher rates has yet to be experimentally verified in the carbon environment of the DIII-D tokamak. The extensive reach of boron layers found in the modeling suggests the need for modeling that encompasses the entire wall geometry for more accurate experimental correlations. This integrated approach sets a precedent for analyzing and applying real-time in-situ boron coating techniques in advanced tokamak scenarios, potentially extendable to ITER.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352179124002552boronizationablative particle injectionboron surface coatingserosion and depositiondust transportmixed-material migration |
| spellingShingle | F. Effenberg K. Schmid F. Nespoli A. Bortolon Y. Feng B.A. Grierson J.D. Lore R. Maingi D.L. Rudakov Integrated modeling of boron powder injection for real-time plasma-facing component conditioning Nuclear Materials and Energy boronization ablative particle injection boron surface coatings erosion and deposition dust transport mixed-material migration |
| title | Integrated modeling of boron powder injection for real-time plasma-facing component conditioning |
| title_full | Integrated modeling of boron powder injection for real-time plasma-facing component conditioning |
| title_fullStr | Integrated modeling of boron powder injection for real-time plasma-facing component conditioning |
| title_full_unstemmed | Integrated modeling of boron powder injection for real-time plasma-facing component conditioning |
| title_short | Integrated modeling of boron powder injection for real-time plasma-facing component conditioning |
| title_sort | integrated modeling of boron powder injection for real time plasma facing component conditioning |
| topic | boronization ablative particle injection boron surface coatings erosion and deposition dust transport mixed-material migration |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352179124002552 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT feffenberg integratedmodelingofboronpowderinjectionforrealtimeplasmafacingcomponentconditioning AT kschmid integratedmodelingofboronpowderinjectionforrealtimeplasmafacingcomponentconditioning AT fnespoli integratedmodelingofboronpowderinjectionforrealtimeplasmafacingcomponentconditioning AT abortolon integratedmodelingofboronpowderinjectionforrealtimeplasmafacingcomponentconditioning AT yfeng integratedmodelingofboronpowderinjectionforrealtimeplasmafacingcomponentconditioning AT bagrierson integratedmodelingofboronpowderinjectionforrealtimeplasmafacingcomponentconditioning AT jdlore integratedmodelingofboronpowderinjectionforrealtimeplasmafacingcomponentconditioning AT rmaingi integratedmodelingofboronpowderinjectionforrealtimeplasmafacingcomponentconditioning AT dlrudakov integratedmodelingofboronpowderinjectionforrealtimeplasmafacingcomponentconditioning |