Power handling in a highly-radiative negative triangularity pilot plant

Journal Article · 24 October 2024 · Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6587/ad867a · OSTI ID:2474356

Miller, M. A. ; Arnold, D.; Wigram, M.; Nelson, A. O. ; Witham, J.; Rutherford, G. ; Choudhury, H.; Cummings, C.; Paz-Soldan, C. ; Whyte, D. G.

Abstract This work explores detailed power handling solutions for a class of high-field, highly-radiative negative triangularity (NT) reactors based around the MANTA concept (Rutherford et al 2024 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion ). The divertor design is kept as simple as possible, opting for a standard divertor with standard leg length. FreeGS is used to create an equilibrium for the boundary region, prioritizing a short outer leg length of only ∼50 cm (∼40% of the minor radius). The UEDGE code package is used for the boundary plasma solution to track plasma temperatures and fluxes to the divertor targets. It is found that for $P_{\mathrm{SOL}}$ = 25 MW and $n_{\mathrm{sep}}=0.96\times {10}^{20}$ m ⁻³ , conditions consistent with initial core transport modeling, little additional power mitigation is necessary. For a fixed impurity fraction of just 0.13% Ne in the plasma, the peak heat flux density at the more heavily loaded outer targets falls to 7.8 MW m ⁻² , while the electron temperature $T_{\mathrm{e}}$ remains just under 5 eV. Scans around the parameter space reveal that even at densities lower than in the primary operating scenario, $P_{\mathrm{SOL}}$ can be increased up to 50 MW, so long as a slightly higher fraction of extrinsic radiator is used. With less than 1% neon (Ne) impurity content, the divertor still experiences less than 10 MW m ⁻² at the outer target. Design of the plasma-facing components includes a close-fitting vacuum vessel with a tungsten inner surface as well as FLiBe-carrying cooling channels fashioned into the VV wall directly behind the divertor targets. For the seeded heat flux profile, Ansys Fluent heat transfer simulations estimate that the outer target temperature remains at just below 1550  ^∘ C. Initial scoping of advanced divertor designs shows that for an X-divertor, detachment of the outer target becomes much simpler, and plasma fluxes to the targets drop considerably with only 0.01% Ne content.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)
• Grant/Contract Number: FC02-04ER54698
• OSTI ID: 2474356
• Journal Information: Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, Journal Name: Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 66; ISSN 0741-3335
• Publisher: IOP PublishingCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United Kingdom
• Language: English