Integrated modeling of boron powder injection for real-time plasma-facing component conditioning

Effenberg, F.; Schmid, K.; Nespoli, F.; Bortolon, A.; Feng, Y.; Grierson, B. A.; Lore, Jeremey D.; Maingi, R.; Rudakov, D. L.

doi:10.1016/j.nme.2024.101832

Integrated modeling of boron powder injection for real-time plasma-facing component conditioning

Journal Article · Tue Dec 03 23:00:00 EST 2024 · Nuclear Materials and Energy

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nme.2024.101832· OSTI ID:2480364

^[1]; Schmid, K. ^[2]; ^[1]; ^[1]; Feng, Y. ^[3]; ^[4]; ^[5]; ^[1]; ^[6]

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
Max–Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik (Germany)
Max–Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Greifswald (Germany)
General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
University of California - San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States)

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 (5-250 µm) 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.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities (SUF)

Grant/Contract Number:: FC02-04ER54698; AC02-09CH11466; AC05-00OR22725

OSTI ID:: 2480364

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 2482506
OSTI ID: 2586867

Journal Information:: Nuclear Materials and Energy, Journal Name: Nuclear Materials and Energy Vol. 42; ISSN 2352-1791

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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