skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Comparison of cryogenic (hydrogen) and TESPEL (polystyrene) pellet particle deposition in a magnetically confined plasma

Abstract

Here, a cryogenic pellet injector (PI) and tracer encapsulated solid pellet (TESPEL) injector system has been operated in combination on the stellarator TJ-II. This unique arrangement has been created by piggy-backing a TESPEL injector onto the backend of a pipe-gun–type PI. The combined injector provides a powerful new tool for comparing ablation and penetration of polystyrene TESPEL pellets and solid hydrogen pellets, as well as for contrasting subsequent pellet particle deposition and plasma perturbation under analogous plasma conditions. For instance, a significantly larger increase in plasma line-averaged electron density, and electron content, is observed after a TESPEL pellet injection compared with an equivalent cryogenic pellet injection. Moreover, for these injections from the low-magnetic-field side of the plasma cross-section, TESPEL pellets deposit electrons deeper into the plasma core than cryogenic pellets. Finally, the physics behind these observations and possible implications for pellet injection studies are discussed.

Authors:
 [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [3];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Center for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research (CIEMAT), Madrid (Spain). National Fusion Lab.
  2. National Inst. for Fusion Science, Toki (Japan)
  3. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Fusion and Materials for Nuclear Systems Division
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE; European Commission (EC); Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (Spain); National Inst. for Fusion Science (NIFS); The National Inst. of Natural Sciences (NINS)
Contributing Org.:
TJ-II Team
OSTI Identifier:
1427621
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC05-00OR22725; 633053; ENE2013-48679-R; KEIN1102; KEIN1104; UFEX106
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Europhysics Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 120; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 0295-5075
Publisher:
IOP Publishing
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY

Citation Formats

McCarthy, K. J., Tamura, N., Combs, S. K., Panadero, N., Ascabíbar, E., Estrada, T., García, R., Hernández Sánchez, J., López Fraguas, A., Navarro, M., Pastor, I., and Soleto, A. Comparison of cryogenic (hydrogen) and TESPEL (polystyrene) pellet particle deposition in a magnetically confined plasma. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1209/0295-5075/120/25001.
McCarthy, K. J., Tamura, N., Combs, S. K., Panadero, N., Ascabíbar, E., Estrada, T., García, R., Hernández Sánchez, J., López Fraguas, A., Navarro, M., Pastor, I., & Soleto, A. Comparison of cryogenic (hydrogen) and TESPEL (polystyrene) pellet particle deposition in a magnetically confined plasma. United States. https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/120/25001
McCarthy, K. J., Tamura, N., Combs, S. K., Panadero, N., Ascabíbar, E., Estrada, T., García, R., Hernández Sánchez, J., López Fraguas, A., Navarro, M., Pastor, I., and Soleto, A. 2018. "Comparison of cryogenic (hydrogen) and TESPEL (polystyrene) pellet particle deposition in a magnetically confined plasma". United States. https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/120/25001. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1427621.
@article{osti_1427621,
title = {Comparison of cryogenic (hydrogen) and TESPEL (polystyrene) pellet particle deposition in a magnetically confined plasma},
author = {McCarthy, K. J. and Tamura, N. and Combs, S. K. and Panadero, N. and Ascabíbar, E. and Estrada, T. and García, R. and Hernández Sánchez, J. and López Fraguas, A. and Navarro, M. and Pastor, I. and Soleto, A.},
abstractNote = {Here, a cryogenic pellet injector (PI) and tracer encapsulated solid pellet (TESPEL) injector system has been operated in combination on the stellarator TJ-II. This unique arrangement has been created by piggy-backing a TESPEL injector onto the backend of a pipe-gun–type PI. The combined injector provides a powerful new tool for comparing ablation and penetration of polystyrene TESPEL pellets and solid hydrogen pellets, as well as for contrasting subsequent pellet particle deposition and plasma perturbation under analogous plasma conditions. For instance, a significantly larger increase in plasma line-averaged electron density, and electron content, is observed after a TESPEL pellet injection compared with an equivalent cryogenic pellet injection. Moreover, for these injections from the low-magnetic-field side of the plasma cross-section, TESPEL pellets deposit electrons deeper into the plasma core than cryogenic pellets. Finally, the physics behind these observations and possible implications for pellet injection studies are discussed.},
doi = {10.1209/0295-5075/120/25001},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1427621}, journal = {Europhysics Letters},
issn = {0295-5075},
number = 2,
volume = 120,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 05 00:00:00 EST 2018},
month = {Fri Jan 05 00:00:00 EST 2018}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 10 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

Figures / Tables:

Fig. 1: Fig. 1:: (Colour online) Sketch of the cross-section of the TJ-II and the cryogenic pellet injector with the TESPEL piggy-backed onto its upstream end of Line-4. Pellets accelerated along a guide tube. The predicted flight path to, and through, the plasma is also indicated (the closed magnetic flux surfaces formore » the standard configuration are shown). The relative locations of Lines-1 through -4, with respect to the rear end of the PI, are highlighted.« less

Save / Share:

Works referencing / citing this record:

Tracer-Encapsulated Solid Pellet (TESPEL) injection system for Wendelstein 7-X
journal, October 2018


The impact of fast electrons on pellet injection in the stellarator TJ-II
journal, November 2018


Hollow pellet injection for magnetic fusion
journal, June 2019


Overview of recent TJ-II stellarator results
journal, July 2019


Overview of recent TJ-II stellarator results
text, January 2019


Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.