Yang Jin-Wei

Study of runaway electron behaviour during electron cyclotron resonance heating in the HL-2A Tokamak

During the current flat-top phase of electron cyclotron resonance heating discharges in the HL-2A Tokamak, the behaviour of runaway electrons has been studied by means of hard x-ray detectors and neutron diagnostics. During electron cyclotron resonance heating, it can be found that both hard x-ray radiation intensity and neutron emission flux fall rapidly to a very low level, which suggests that runaway electrons have been suppressed by electron cyclotron resonance heating. From the set of discharges studied in the present experiments, it has also been observed that the efficiency of runaway suppression by electron cyclotron resonance heating was apparently affected by two factors: electron cyclotron resonance heating power and duration. These results have been analysed by using a test particle model. The decrease of the toroidal electric field due to electron cyclotron resonance heating results in a rapid fall in the runaway electron energy that may lead to a suppression of runaway electrons. During electron cyclotron resonance heating with different powers and durations, the runaway electrons will experience different slowing down processes. These different decay processes are the major cause for influencing the efficiency of runaway suppression. This result is related to the safe operation of the Tokamak and may bring an effective control of runaway electrons.

Fusion Neutron Flux Monitor for ITER

Neutron flux monitor (NFM) as an important diagnostic sub-system in ITER (international thermonuclear experimental reactor) provides a global neutron source intensity, fusion power and neutron flux in real time. Three types of neutron flux monitor assemblies with different sensitivities and shielding materials have been designed. Through MCNP (Mante-Carlo neutral particle transport code) calculations, this extended system of NFM can detect the neutron flux in a range of 104 n/(cm2?s) to 1014 n/(cm2?s). It is capable of providing accurate neutron yield measurements for all operational modes encountered in the ITER experiments including the in-situ calibration. Combining both the counting mode and Campbelling (MSV; Mean Square Voltage) mode in the signal processing units, the requirement of the dynamic range (107) for these NFMs and time resolution (1 ms) can be met. Based on a uncertainty analysis, the estimated absolute measurement accuracies of the total fusion neutron yield can reach the required 10% level in both the early stage of the DD-phase and the full power DT operation mode. In the advanced DD-phase, the absolute measurement accuracy would be better than 20%.

Fusion Neutron Flux Detector for the ITER

Two fission chambers with different amounts of fissile material (enriched 90% uranium-235) have been manufactured for neutron flux detection in a thermonuclear fusion device. The characteristics of neutron signal and its discrimination from other signals, and a plateau of high voltage between the anode and cathode have been validated in a thermal neutron source. The energy responses of the two fission chambers at seven energy levels have been calibrated in an accelerator fast neutron source and the results agree well with the simulations.

Avalanche Phenomenon of Superthermal Electrons Measured by SDD with New SPHA during ECRH

Two high performance silicon drift detectors (SDD) are installed at the equatorial port with z = 0 and z = -16.4 cm on HL-2A tokamak, respectively These SDDs combine with the new and non-conventional software pulse height analyser (SPHA) successfully developed more recently by us to measure the time evolution of soft x-rays spectra, the thermal and superthermal electron temperatures. The high-quality three-dimensional figure of time evolution for soft x-rays energy spectra is easily obtained by combination of a new SPHA and computer. Therefore, the measurement accuracies and the time resolutions of thermal and superthermal electron temperatures are also improved. The enhancement phenomenon of superthermal electron during electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) can be explained by the combination of superthermal electron avalanche theory and experimental parameters.

First neutron spectrometry measurement at the HL-2A Tokamak

A compact neutron spectrometer based on the liquid scintillator is presented for neutron energy spectrum measurements at the HL-2A Tokamak. The spectrometer was well characterized and a fast digital pulse shape discrimination software was developed using the charge comparison method. A digitizer data acquisition system with a maximum frequency of 1 MHz can work under an environment with a high count rate at HL-2A Tokamak. Specific radiation and magnetic shielding for the spectrometer were designed for the neutron spectrum measurement at the HL-2A Tokamak. For pulse height spectrum analysis, dedicated numerical simulation utilizing NUBEAM combined with GENESIS was performed to obtain the neutron energy spectrum. Subsequently, the transportation process from the plasma to the detector was evaluated with Monte Carlo calculations. The distorted neutron energy spectrum was folded with the response matrix of the liquid scintillation spectrometer, and good consistency was found between the simulated and measured pulse height spectra. This neutron spectrometer based on a digital acquisition system could be well adopted for the investigation of the auxiliary heating behavior and the fast-ion related phenomenon on different tokamak devices.A compact neutron spectrometer based on the liquid scintillator is presented for neutron energy spectrum measurements at the HL-2A tokamak. The spectrometer was well characterized and a fast digital pulse shape discrimination software was developed using the charge comparison method. A digitizer data acquisition system with a maximum frequency of 1 MHz can work under an environment with a high count rate at HL-2A tokamak. Specific radiation and magnetic shielding for the spectrometer were designed for the neutron spectrum measurement at the HL-2A tokamak. For pulse height spectrum analysis, dedicated numerical simulation utilizing NUBEAM combined with GENESIS was performed to obtain the neutron energy spectrum. Subsequently, the transportation process from the plasma to the detector was evaluated with Monte Carlo calculations. The distorted neutron energy spectrum was folded with the response matrix of the liquid scintillation spectrometer, and good consistency was found between the simulated and measured pulse height spectra. This neutron spectrometer based on a digital acquisition system could be well adopted for the investigation of the auxiliary heating behavior and the fast-ion related phenomenon on different tokamak devices.

In-situ Calibration Techniques and Preliminary Assessment of Accuracy for NFM on ITER

Absolutely calibrated measurements of the neutron yields which need to cover both D-D and D-T phase of the international thermal-nuclear experimental reactor (ITER) are important for the evaluation of fusion power and fusion gain Q in D-D and D-T operations. This paper describes the in-situ calibration techniques and methods, the neutron sources including 252Cf and neutron generator for calibration, the preliminary accuracy assessment and the error analyses. In addition, some difficult problems regarding the in situ calibration for the neutron flux monitor (NFM) on ITER are presented and discussed.

Array of HgI2 detectors on the HL-1M Tokamak

An array of seven HgI2 detectors, which are suitable for detecting the time and space evolution of the x-ray radiation flux and energy spectrum in the range between 15–150 keV relevant to suprathermal electron and runaway electrons was installed on the HL-1M Tokamak (R0=1.02 m, a=0.26 m, BT=3.5 T, IP=350 kA, ne=3–6×1013 cm−3, Te=0.8–1.5 keV). Our iodine mercury (HgI2) semiconductor detectors possess the properties of low noise level, high detection efficiency, high counting rate, high energy resolution, and working at room temperature. Every detector is a high quality, high purity detector cut out of a big size HgI2 crystal. A new type of multichannel energy spectrometer with a high speed acquisition system was developed. Therefore, the spatial and temporal distribution of the x-ray energy spectrum induced by thermal and superthermal electrons can be observed.

Synergetic Effects of Runaway and Disruption Induced by VDE on the First Wall Damage in HL-2A

The plasma facing component in HL-2A has been damaged seriously after disruption, and for this reason its operation is suspended for maintenance. The experimental phenomena and plasma configurations, calculated by the current filament code (CF-code) using the plasma parameters measured by diagnostics and the signals of the magnetic probes, confirm that the first wall is damaged by the synergetic effects of runaway electrons and disruption induced by a vertical displacement event (VDE). When the plasma column is displaced upward/downward, the strong runaway electrons normally hit the baffle plate of the MP3 or MP1 coil in the upper and lower divertor during the disruption, causing the baffle plates to be holed and wrinkled by the energetic runaway current, and water (for cooling or heating the baffle plates) to leak into the vacuum vessel. Another disastrous consequence is that bellows underlying the baffle plate and outside the coil of MP3 for connecting two segments of the jacket casing pipe are punctured by arcing. The arc may be part of the halo current that forms a complete circuit. The experimental phenomena are indirect but compelling evidence for the existence of a halo current during the disruption and VDE, though the halo current has not been measured by the diagnostics in the HL-2A tokamak.

Preliminary Design of Neutron Flux and Spectrum Diagnostics in NT-TBM

A special neutron diagnostic system is proposed that facilitates the measurement of neutron fluxes and spectra in the neutronics and tritium production-test blanket module (NT-TBM) without interrupting the operation of the International Thermal-nuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), for studying the multiplication rate in the neutron multiplier and breeding ratio of tritium in the breeder. This system includes an encapsulated foil activation system, micro-fission chamber detectors (MFC), and a compact neutron spectrometer using a natural diamond detector (NDD). A helium coolant loop with a reasonable diameter is designed carefully for every measurement channel that ensures that the neutron detectors and preamplifiers would work well under a high temperature scenario and that the filling rates of the neutron multiplier (beryllium pebble) and tritium breeder material (Li4SiO4) would not decrease excessively (the expected value≥80%) due to the dimensions of the helium coolant loop.