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Title: Effects of particle transport on helium ash accumulation and sustained ignition in the international thermonuclear experimental reactor

Journal Article · · Fusion Technology; (United States)
OSTI ID:5609302
;  [1]
  1. Princeton Univ., Plasma Physics Lab., Princeton, NJ (US)

This paper reports the buildup of helium ash has been studied in a series of simulations with the BALDUR transport code in the proposed International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) experiment at low density {bar n}{sub e} = 8.3 {times} 10{sup 19}/m{sup {minus}3}. Sustained ignition is found to be possible only for R{sub He} {lt} 0.5 {yields} 0.9, with lower values required at lower edge densities. Using radially dependent thermal diffusivities that were scaled from Joint European Torus (JET) values, the effects of particle transport coefficients and edge recycling on helium poisoning of ignition are studied. A sustained ignition is obtained when the exhaust of helium from the edge plasma is allowed to exceed 10% of the helium flux into the edge plasma from the core plasma, and the ratio of particle (helium ion) to thermal diffusivities. D/{chi}, is {gt}1/4. The simulations include the effects of sawtooth oscillations, radiative as well as conductive energy loss channels, and density profile variations.

OSTI ID:
5609302
Journal Information:
Fusion Technology; (United States), Vol. 20:1; ISSN 0748-1896
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English