Plasma modification through boron particulate injection in the full tungsten environment of WEST

Lunsford, R.; Gallo, A.; Afonin, K.; Moreau, Ph.; Diallo, A.; De Combarieu, M.; Bose, S.; Sgrelli, D.; Bortolon, A.; Bourdelle, C.; Desgranges, C.; Ekedahl, A.; Guillemaut, C.; Gunn, J. P.; Klepper, C. C.; Manas, P.; Nagy, A.; Pellissier, F.-P.; Tsitrone, E.; Unterberg, E. A.; Vermare, L.

doi:10.1088/1741-4326/adff29

Plasma modification through boron particulate injection in the full tungsten environment of WEST

Journal Article · Fri Sep 05 00:00:00 EDT 2025 · Nuclear Fusion

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/adff29· OSTI ID:2589003

^[1]; ^[2]; ^[2]; Moreau, Ph. ^[2]; ^[1]; De Combarieu, M. ^[2]; ^[1]; Sgrelli, D. ^[2]; Bortolon, A. ^[1]; ^[2]; Desgranges, C. ^[2]; ^[2]; Guillemaut, C. ^[2]; Gunn, J. P. ^[2]; ^[3]; Manas, P. ^[2]; Nagy, A. ^[1]; Pellissier, F.-P. ^[2]; Tsitrone, E. ^[2]; ^[3] more »

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
CEA, IRFM, Saint Paul Lez Durance (France)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Ecole Polytechnique, Paris (France). Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas (LPP)

Recent experiments have confirmed the compatibility of extended boron particulate injections with high performance plasma discharges in the full tungsten (W) environment of WEST. Utilizing an impurity powder dropper (IPD) equipped with boron (B) powders a series of extended experimental programs providing controlled injections have quantified plasma response to varying levels of injection rate and total injection quantity. Calibration of injection quantities confirmed through post-situ testing of the IPD and cross-correlated with both high-speed camera illumination and spectroscopic measurement have allowed for the first time a fine scale determination of the effects of powder introduction on plasma performance. Plasma enhancement, consistent with turbulence reduction through profile modification, has been observed with sustained increases in the stored energy (WMHD), by 18%, electron temperature (T_e) by 35%, and neutron rate (N_n) by up to 200%, all of which scale positively with increasing powder injection rates. These injections have also resulted in both prompt and extended reductions in native impurity content, decreases in post injection radiated power, and strong decreases in divertor deuterium signatures signifying a reduction in recycling suggesting enhanced boron layer formation which provides a reduction of source terms and leads to enhanced gettering of main ion and impurity sources.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-09CH11466

OSTI ID:: 2589003

Journal Information:: Nuclear Fusion, Journal Name: Nuclear Fusion Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 65; ISSN 0029-5515; ISSN 1741-4326

Publisher:: IOP PublishingCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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