Research Areas / Fusion energy / Investigating Power and Temperature Asymmetries in SPARC’s Heat Exhaust
To support SPARC’s Q>1 campaign, we model the heat transported by the plasma from the fusion core to the wall, by performing numerical simulations. We observe strong power and temperature asymmetries, yielding unexpected results compared to experiments. More specifically, we find more power being received by the inner divertor plates, resulting in a more challenging heat exhaust problem. This study will look to understand the key physics drivers behind these observations.
Understanding the physical processes that cause the observed power and temperature asymmetries is crucial in planning operation for SPARC and other future reactor-class devices. Dynamics in the “scrape-off-layer” are particularly complex due to the wide range of plasma, atomic, and molecular phenomena which determine how power and particles flow between the core and the vessel wall. These have direct impact on both the fusion core’s performance and stability and the durability of the material surfaces of the vacuum vessel. Ensuring that heat is exhausted safely and predictably will thus enable high-power operation of fusion power plants, essential for reaching Q>1.
We use the code package SOLPS-ITER for these simulations, which primarily consists of the fluid code B2.5 and the Monte-Carlo neutral code EIRENE, thanks to an agreement with the ITER Organization. We are also developing an analytical model to predict SOL asymmetries, informed by simulations and experiments.
CFS RPP022