PFC/JA-83-34 Alcator DCT: Heat Removal and Impurity Control in a Proposed Long Pulse Tokamak B. Lipschultz, D. B. Montgomery, P. A. Politzer S. M. Wolfe Plasma Fusion Center Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, 14A 02139 October 1983 This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Contract No. DE-AC02-78ET51013. Reproduction, translation, publication, use and disposal, in whole or in part by or for the United States government is permitted. By acceptance of this article, the publisher and/or recipient acknowledges the U.S. Government's right to retain a non-exclusive, royalty-free license in and to any copyright covering this paper. Alcator DCT: Heat Removal and Impurity Control in a Proposed Long Pulse Tokamak. B. LIPSCHULTZ, D. B. MONTGOMERY, P. A. POLITZER, and S. M. WOLFE, Plasma Fusion Center, M.I.T. The most crucial requirement system is its performance Alcator DCT device for any heat removal and impurity control under at M.I.T. steady is designed state loading. The proposed to provide a near term test of long pulse and steady state issues integral to the tokamak program. Anticipated plasma parameters include 1014 e 3 cm- , Te ~ 3-10 keV, pulse time > 1 minute, plasma currents > 1 Mamp, 1 < ellipticity < 1.6. Superconducting toroidal (Nb 3 Sn) and poloidal (NbTi) field coils as well as cw RF heating sources allow steady state operation. All day operation using RF current drive is contemplated. The design parameters most relevant to this discussion are: age wall loading (- .2Mw/m 2 ), particle pumping rate (~ 1021 part/sec) and average heat load on the limiter or divertor plates (We have been studying three configurations which might 2-3Mw/m 2 ). allow obtain these parameters while keeping the impurity level low: limiters, 2) internal poloidal 3) external poloidal divertors (INTOR). Pumped simplest of these implement. On the other hand to divertors (e.g. ASDEX, aver- PDX, limiters us 1) pumped DIVA) and are the the physics data base for pumped limiters is small and inadequate for extrapolation a reactor. There exists a much more extensive physics to to and engineering data base concerning divertors. The difference between alternatives 2) and 3) lies in the divertor coil size, location and ease of maintenance. The disadvantages of 2), for a reactor, are that links the TF and cannot be protected properly from neutron damage. alternative 3) avoids these disadvantages, it requires expensive divertor coil to allow the currents needed. three alternatives will be presented and further coil the divertor a While large and Designs for all comparisons made. The most crucial control system loading. is requirement its for any heat removal under steady state performance and impurity reactor level The proposed Alcator DCT device at M.I.T. will provide a near term test of long pulse and steady state issues integral to the tokamak program. The objectives of the proposed machine are the development of plasma edge, impurity, shape and profile control techniques appropriate to steady state high power operation; drive and heating techniques; and the optimization the demonstration fully superconducting PF and TF magnet system. description of the physical machine meters. Three impurity and of of RF current an integrated This paper will give a a review of achievable para- control designs that are contemplated will be described and compared. I. Machine description Alcator DCT is a high field, superconducting tokamak with dimensions and parameters shown in Table I. Nb 3 Sn cable in conduit, The TF magnets are constructed with are non-circular in shape, and have a peak field of 10 T at the magnet and 7 T at the plasma major radius. The supercon- ducting PF The system uses multi-strand NbTi conductor. moderate aspect ratio of this device allows an air core transformer providing a flux swing of 35 volt-seconds. of pulse lengths Each toroidal many and times poloidal This is the only planned tokamak capable the classical field coil has magnetic its diffusion own separate time. dewar as well as an overall outer vacuum vessel providing common thermal insulation. The plasma has a minor radius currents of 1.4 MA. edge and The toroidal .04% on axis. of 40 cm, elongation up to 1.6, and field ripple is 2.0% at the plasma The dee-shaped vacuum vessel has vertical and horizontal dimensions of 155 and 110 cm. This size provides sufficient 11 - 2 room for the internal There are are 48 vertical ports and 12 horizontal ports (30 x device. 70 cm) components accompanying a steady state divertor good diagnostic access personnel allowing access. as well as to the vessel These features are illustrated providing in Figure 1. The engineering for Alcator DCT is described in more detail elsewherel. RF systems consisting of 4 MW at the lower hybrid and 8 MW at the ion cyclotron these sytems frequencies would be are presently upgraded to on site for -use cw at M.I.T. on Alcator Each DCT, of with reduction of the available ICRF power to 5 MW. II. Achievable plasma parameters Transport during forms for auxiliary heating well as been modelled from PDX thermal diffusivity derived injection experiments 2 , as has an ohmic "L-mode" scaling using two neutral beam to account for "H-mode" confinement. Transport calculations assuming of 9 MW RF power at the source indicate Alcator DCT can be expected to achieve electron and ion temperatures in the 5 - 10 keV range for average densities of 1 - 2 x 10 These parameters, together lengths of 1 to 5 minutes, with the available flux swing 14 cm- 3 . imply pulse even with the most pessimistic of transport assumptions. The resulting equilibria exhibit marked finite beta distortions, making possible the study of the evolution and control of high pressure, shaped equilibria However, these for studies times exceeding the can be performed at current diffusion time. or close to the stability boundary only if the more favorable confinement is achieved, or if some additional heating power is supplied. The available lower hybrid heating can be used to drive current as well as heat the plasma. Predictions using the Fisch-Karney theory - 3 indicate steady state currents of 13 densities > 5 x 10 current and pressure 3 cm- . Studies of profiles pulse lengths greater 1 MA could be driven at electron 1 with the evolution RF current drive than the plasma L/R time. Alcator DCT parameters this time is of the and control will of require For the anticipated order of 100 sec. In addition, the demonstration of day-long pulses, which will be required for a tokamak reactor, places severe demands on heat and particle removal and impurity control systems. III. Particle and impurity control techniques A long pulse machine will need particle pumping to allow control over the plasma density. It will also require techniques for minimi- zing the generation of impurities due to thermal loading and sputtering and for preventing their subsequent entrance into the main plasma. The RF power deposited in Alcator DCT causes a high value of heat (.2 MW/m 2 ) to flow into the plasma edge. to values for which large impurity This power flux is comparable densities are intense auxiliary heating in present day machines. observed during We conclude that on a long time scale a simple limiter can not perform both the tasks of impurity and particle control. a long pulse test of the two Alcator DCT is planned to provide most promising techniques limiters and poloidal divertors. For the latter two separate possibilities: internal PDX 3 , ASDEX 4 ) and an an external poloidal - pumped option we consider poloidal divertor divertor (INTOR 5 ). (e.g. By this we are referring coils. The designs and parameters for the pumped limiter and the two to a divertor configurations divertor are produced presented by in the coils outside following the TF sections. Pumped limiter Much experimental and theoretical research is presently con- - 4 - the cerned with of subject limiters. pumped experiments 6 - 9 have produced encouraging whether pumped limiters will remove scale tokamak without questionable. While their ease of construction, feel it we engineering viewpoint, risky on a large efficiently of overabundance to pumped limiters causes coils of divertors, results on particle pumping, particles an producing scale small Although is impurities compared to the extra from an attractive be high a long-pulse, to build heat flux tokamak with only this option for impurity control. Our basic design for a pumped limiter is shown in Figure 2a. It is fully toroidal with neutralizer plates located under the limiter at 12 of the 24 bottom vertical ports. the entrance of single leading ports edge different shapes, limiter is movable particles entering where is and they can be pumped. flat to along a major scrape-off the discharges of reasons, the same 10% of all Approximately radius. layer will pass strike the neutralizer plate 1 0 . edge and For has a The limiter plasma for allow and major radii. sizes the Neutrals are therefore created at behind the leading We estimate that between 10 and 50% of the particles striking the plate will then be pumped. that each of the vertical ports has a conductance and that neutral (~10Lp) pressures will be similar to Given of ~ 2 x 104 1/sec present day results we will need ~ 10,000 1/sec of steady state pumping around the torus. Internal poloidal divertor The poloidal ly well understood of particles into divertor produced in comparison the efficient than with a region pumped with internal is relativeThe the pumped limiter. to near coils the limiter. pumping The ducts is exhaust much more impurity generation point - 5 is removed from the main plasma the average ties to energy per accumulate ical poloidal of neutrals ion and created than a pumped impurity-ion in the divertor divertor has limiter. exhaust ports. We are studying this idea. flux The coil set ASDEX: a equal but ting and main wound The for neutralized this divertor divertor coil opposite current. covered by coil. were inside vacuum pair defining the of nulling divertor and cooled tiles absorb parts charge exchange flux. helium for the coils the for currently being in TFTR This is 300 W/cm 2 ) and used the INTOR design we are to which the bellows cover plates. load at pump similar to that of coils an carrying be superconduc- neutralizer to the the plates, main divertor baffling 2b). The are also and some part localized could of baffles are fed attaching erosion shown tiles the to system walls of covered caused pursuing in are the the steady insufficient brazing, is through tiles limits currently study 5 : possible configuration material' part if less the with by the The water coolant for these tiles and superconductors watts/cm 2 . pumped may be The Figure the heat the fraction matching attached are (see of mechanical technique 10's of are chamber divertor chamber to tiles, plates, plates chamber. impuri- the prototyp- a triplet two causes overcome These three coils the coolant-backed on is and be reduces Because subsequently problem could of the . neutralizer which are This friction 12 chamber toroidal there Flux multiplication1 1 edge. for attached 3. The would heat load cooled be to (200- indicated copper wool. also The substrate application alternatives copper pins and Figure cooled state our supports. by One 'sandwich used for - 6 External poloidal divertor The poloidal divertor produced with external coils is not as well understood as the internal device with geometry expanded boundary coils. that the The poloidal similar 13 experiment results to from the expanded boundary divertor. this class in which General only of divertors divertor Atomic exhibits The coils operating is the link DIII the TF and JAERI teams indicate particle pumping control similar to the PDX and ASDEX divertors. and impurity The external poloidal divertor throat is much more 'open' than that of the internal divertor. This could lead to a greater leakage of neutral hydrogen and impurities back to the main plasma. the open divertor, Field lines spread out to a greater extent in allowing easier design of neutralizer plates. the plasma shape or position is varied, flux deposition profile will vary. the x-point, Our When and thus the heat calculations indicate that these variations are less than or of the same order as the XE variations discussed in Section IV. We are considering two possible neutralizer plate/baffle configurations for the external divertor. the neutralizer plate is mounted directly with the baffles below. 2d, the neutralizer approximately two plate thirds on the and baffle of the heat are heat loads, although 2c) vacuum vessel combined. and particle is some 2c, wall shown in Figure This flux is because contacts the Any neutral created will not have a direct sight path back to the main plasma. configuration (Fig. shown in Figure In the second configuration, plate near the separatrix. line of For the first, not an optimized The fact that the first shape results of this load will be in higher spread out because of perpendicular transport across the separatrix in the 'divertor chamber'. While this shape is not optimized for heat load, it is easier to con- - 7 - struct and support than the second. It is interesting to note that the heat load results for the configuration shown in Figure 2d imply that one should This case design is for the somewhat design, which is shortest different quite decay from the sensitive to length deemed reasonable. internal poloidal the actual divertor value of the decay length. IV. Heat deposition calculations To study the heat case plasma loading, deposition profiles, 10 Mwatts at the plasma edge. length in the scrape-off layer, results, is 1.2 cm. using this value we have chosen the worst The energy decay XE, which has been scaled from Alcator C We have designed the limiter and divertor plates and have calculated the resulting heat deposition 4 mm. if XE is different by The heat flux parallel to a field line in the scrape-off layer is calculated on the plasma midplane using the above information. flux surface geometry is given by the output (Psi(R,z)) The heat brium code. limiter surface flow assuming is then mapped constant flow Psi(R,z) we can calculate the vector at the plate, giving the heat on of an equili- to the divertor a flux The plate surface. or Knowing components of the magnetic field deposition. The results for the four different geometries discussed above are shown in Figure 4. For all cases we find the heat loads and thus the thermally derived impurity sources tries (4b, 4d) load below 2 MW/m manageable. to be reactor prototypical. have been 2 . Two optimized for XE = 1.2 The variation of the four cm, geome- to keep the heat of heat loads with changing XE is - 8 - V. Edge plasma parameters A one-dimensional transport code, described in detail elsewherel 4 , used has been the plasma model to convective conductive and or either magnetically processes transport (sinks). impurity sources field The This edge. line and as well as neutral is geometry limited mechanically includes calculation to adaptable discharges. For this calculation, as for the heat deposition model, we assume that 10 Mwatts This of power is deposited uniformly in the plasma scrape-off region. power is deposited directly by the RF and/or is transported out of the main plasma. Typical results for the open divertor case are shown in Figure 5. With variation in the plasma density the flux multiplication effect is seen for all divertor temperature in plate. the Since divertor this chamber, model we predicts can [(l/ni) reduces x (dni/dx)]Fl/(Ldiv/3) < 1 density the calculate accumulation parameter from impurity momentum balance parameter effect This which also reduces the sputtering carried per ion, the average energy at the configurations. divertor 12 over the an . and impurity We find this complete range in edge conditions. The parameters divertor chamber, for the edge of the main plasma, as opposed were roughly similar for all configurations, impurity density and power to the edge were kept constant. to as the The edge temperature and electron density ranges were 75 - 100 eV and .8 - 5 x 1013 cm- 3 respectively. sputtering regime With these values Alcator DCT would enter a predicted Edge typical of that for reactors. and divertor chamber parameters are summarized in Table lb. VI. Summary & conclusions The three configurations we have considered for the long pulse, - 9 high heat flux poloidal divertor find the heat and sputtering a pumped divertor. external poloidal and flux are tokamak DCT Alcator main plasma similar edge, to For all three we if neutralizer plates The pumped limiter may adequately pump particles is at the internal reactor prototypical. regime to be localized at pump ports prove successful. limiter, However, because the surface we limiters, simple pumped limiters are risky with respect to impurity control 15 . believe Divertors The heat is spread out due to seem more promising for several reasons. the length and spreading of field lines; the impurity generation point is removed from the main plasma edge; pumping is more easily allowed; energy reducing the per ion, flux multiplication reduces the average physical sputtering source; and impurities accumulate in the divertor chamber due to flow of hydrogen ions to the plate. as part of divertor, include a poloidal We will therefore DCT design. the Alcator We feel that with this impurity control option the possibility of achievIn addition, ing long pulses will be greatly enhanced. the pumped limiter comparison of design as part two particle these of and the basic machine, divertor 'open' chamber. techniques. The internal coil However, the average field line length is greater for the external coil design (Figure This is particularly important for the region X/XE < 1, 2/3 of the edge heat flow. chamber effects. a providing control impurity Each divertor option presents some advantages. design permits a less we will retain 6). which contains The additional length enhances two divertor The heat load spreads due to perpendicular transport and an impurity generated at the divertor plate must travel further to return to the plasma edge. the external found the poloidal These effects may balance the openness of divertor. two configurations From an engineering roughly equivalent. viewpoint, At present, we we are - 10 - pursuing the external poloidal divertor option because reactor relevance and less understood physics. of its greater Techniques for winding a superconducting coil inside the chamber are also being studied should the 'open' divertor fail. Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge the work of the rest of the Alcator DCT design group and Alcator C support staff. thank the Argonne reactor study This work was supported by the U. group S. for In addition, we their helpful discussions. Department of Energy Contract No. DE-AC02-78ET51013. References 1 Alcator DCT Design Group, Report PFC/RR-83-18. 2 3 M.I.T. Plasma Fusion Center Research S. Kaye, Transport Analysis Workshop, PPPL, March 1983. D. Meade, et al., in Controlled Fusion and Plasma 9th European Conf., Oxford, 1979) Vol. 1 (1979)91. Physics (Proc. 4 M. Keilhacker, et al., 8th International Conference on Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research, Brussels, Vol. II, p. 351. 1980, 5 U. S. FED-INTOR Activity and U. S. Contribution to the International Tokamak Reactor Phase 2-A Workshop. 6 D. Overskei, Phys. Rev. Letters 46, 177 (1982). 7S. Talmadge, et al., J. Nuclear Fusion 22, 1369, (1982). 8 R. Jacobsen, J. Nuclear Fusion 22, 277 (1982). 9 P. Mioduszewski, J. Nuclear Materials 111 & 112, 253 (1982). 10J. Brooks, private communication. 11 M. Petravic, et al., Phys. Rev. Letters, 48, 326 (1982). 12 N. Ohyabu, et al., GA-A16434. 13M. A. Mahdavi, et al., GA-A16334. - 11 - 14B. Lipschultz, to be published as an M.I.T. Plasma Fusion Center Report. 15 E. Marmar, et al., this meeting. Figure Captions Figure 1 Cross-section of Alcator DCT. Figure 2 Geometries for a) Pumped Limiter, b) Internal Poloidal Divertor, c) External Poloidal Divertor using vacuum vessel wall for mounting neutralizer plate and d) External poloidal divertor shaped to reduce the heat deposition < 2MW/m2. Figure 3 Tile mounting design. Figure 4 Heat deposition profiles for the 4 geometries shown in Figure 2. The curves shown are: E = 1.6 cm (*"*); XE = 1.2 cm (-) and XE = .8 cm (---). In cases b) and d) the plates are shaped for XE = 1.2 cm, to force Pdep < 2 Mwatts/m 2 and only one plate out of two is shown. Figure 5 Typical profiles of ne, Te, PTOT, PCOND, PCONV along a field line for divertor geometry. Figure 6 Comparison of field line length vs. X/XE on the plasma midplane. The pumped limiter has field line length equal to the asymptotic divertor value for all X. For X/XE fX = 0 E P (4(1)) dl = (2 /3 )PIN Table la. Physical Characteristics of Alcator DCT Plasma major radius, Ro 2.0 m Plasma minor radius 0.40 x 0.56 m Vacuum vessel bore 1.1 x 1.56 m Toroidal magnetic field (R = RO) 7.0 T Toroidal field ripple on axis .04% Maximum field in conductor 10.0 T TF conductor Nb3Sn Poloidal field conductor NbTi Total flux swing (R - RO) 35 Wb Plasma Current (q = 3) 1.0 MA Heating LH 4 MW(cw) ICRF 5 MW(cw) 8 MW (30 sec) 1.5 - 5, w/ohmic Maximum discharge duration (minutes) c, w/LH current drive Table 1b. Plasma Scrape-off Characteristics PEDGE 10 Mwatts 71E 1.2 ± .4 cm nE .8 - 5 x 10 Te 75 - 150 eV Pin/Awall .19 Mwatts =M PAVE ON DIVERTOR PLATE OR LIMITER 2 - 3 1 3 Mwatts m= CX POWER FROM MAIN PLASMA 1 Mwatt TOTAL CX & RAD LOSSES IN DIVERTOR .5 - 6 Mwatts XMFP (IONIZATION OF C) .5 - 5 cm cm-3 W~-' 6 6 --------------- man= It~" ~ Fig. Fig. 2a .8 .7 - - - - - .4. -. 1Cl cr .. .. . . -7. \ .--5 * W# C- -. 2 - - co - -. 6 - -- - - --. *4 - MAJOR RADIUS (METERS) Fig. 2b .7 .4I C/) . wj .2 ...... 1i ....... ..... .... .. .. .. .. .. ... .. . .....-.... ... .. ...... ... ...... Un r.D co 0 cnO -C* It , ul) -- MAJOR RADIUS (METERS) Lo I- co IL. ~ N N~c c Fig. 2c . . . . . . .. ... ......... uj uj V. ...................... ...................... ** .......... uj ...... 0 .......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . CC Lu .. ............. Ln to r- CO as 0 C t-4 pq C'4 C,4 w u-, to r- 'N C4 C MAJOR RADIUS (METERS) Fig. 2d .8 .7 .6 .4 Cl) .3.... . 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F1 BER Fig. 3.5 Cmlq 30 2.5 - -. - 2.0' cc w e Ue I- - I: * 1.5 1.0 CL a: ,*.--I* 0 '* 0.5 0 10.0 20.0 30.0 DISTANCE ALONG 40.0 50.0 PLATE IN CM. 60.0 4a Fig. 4b 3.5 '-, I i Seperatrix 3.0 1 0 e. * * 2.5 * * h 6- * * * 0 * . . S S S S 5 S 2.0c- S S S S S S -------' 1.5- S w S S S S S 1.0 S S S S S S. S S S S 0 M~ 0.5t tO. S 5. 1 I ' 55 ~ 0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 **4 30.0 DISTANCE ALONG PLATE IN CM. 35.0 Pig. 10 I I 81- Seperatrix I I I 61- I I * C', -I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 410 iL I 21- 0 .** I*0. I .. * I p . / / 0.2 0.4 0.6 4c 0.8 DISTANCE ALONG PLATE IN M. 1.0 Fig. 3.0 2.5t - 2.0 6-j L -- 1.5 1.0 0c 0. 0.5 0 ..- 5.0 - -Seperatrix 10.0 DISTANCE 15.0 20.0 25.0 ALONG PLATE IN CM. 30.0 4d Fig. 5 112.0 120 I 100 Te 80 8.0 'E U 0 60 x n- H C 4.0 40 20 Divertor Main Plasma 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 1.0 3000 -10 3500 Radiation Convection z 0 U 0.5 CL Divertor Main Plasma 0 2500 3000 DISTANCE ALONG FIELD LINE (cm) 500 1000 1500 2000 3500 Fig. I I I I 60 0 External Poloidal Divertor I Internal Poloidal Divertor 40 20 0 0 Distance from 1.0 Separatrix 2.0 ( X/E) 6 2