Damage to nearby divertor components of ITER-like devices during giant ELMs and disruptions

Abstract

During normal operation of the high confinement mode in future ITER devices, edge-localized modes (ELMs) are a potential threat to the divertor components lifetime and plasma contamination. To predict the outcome of the direct ELM plasma impact on the divertor plate, conversion of plasma energy into radiation in the shielding layer, and then the resulting energy deposition of radiation flux to the surrounding areas, comprehensive physical and numerical models are developed and implemented in the HEIGHTS package. The energy deposition, divertor material erosion, resulting vapour plasma temperature and density evolution, and subsequently the resulting radiation, its transport and deposition around the divertor area are calculated for the predicted ELM and disruption parameters and for the prospective full ITER geometry. The initial simulation results showed that the disrupted plasma power density at the original divertor location and vapour radiation fluxes on nearby dome locations can have the same order of magnitude. The simulation results of the integrated modelling indicate a significant potential damage of the divertor nearby surfaces during giant ELMs and disruption impacts for ITER-like parameters and geometry.