Nuclear Fusion (Jan 2024)

Integrated modelling of tungsten accumulation control with wave heating: validation in ASDEX Upgrade and predictions for ITER

  • D. Fajardo,
  • C. Angioni,
  • E. Fable,
  • G. Tardini,
  • R. Bilato,
  • T. Luda,
  • R.M. McDermott,
  • O. Samoylov,
  • the ASDEX Upgrade Team

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/ad6f26
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 64, no. 10
p. 104001

Abstract

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In present-day fusion devices, central wave heating is crucial to avoid core tungsten (W) accumulation. In this work, we present an integrated modelling framework that reproduces the reduction of core W peaking in ASDEX Upgrade experiments when multiple transport channels are self-consistently evolved, emphasizing the effects of wave heating on turbulent and neoclassical W transport. Predictions for the ITER 15 MA baseline are then provided. We show that the core of a reactor is in a different transport regime for W as compared to present-day tokamaks. The challenges introduced by W arise from global radiation losses that can hinder operation in H-mode, instead of local central accumulation.

Keywords