Overview of the JET preparation for deuterium-tritium operation with the ITER like-wall

| openaire: EC/H2020/633053/EU//EUROfusionFor the past several years, the JET scientific programme (Pamela et al 2007 Fusion Eng. Des. 82 590) has been engaged in a multi-campaign effort, including experiments in D, H and T, leading up to 2020 and the first experiments with 50%/50% D-T mixtures since 1997 and the first ever D-T plasmas with the ITER mix of plasma-facing component materials. For this purpose, a concerted physics and technology programme was launched with a view to prepare the D-T campaign (DTE2). This paper addresses the key elements developed by the JET programme directly contributing to the D-T preparation. This intense preparation includes the review of the physics basis for the D-T operational scenarios, including the fusion power predictions through first principle and integrated modelling, and the impact of isotopes in the operation and physics of D-T plasmas (thermal and particle transport, high confinement mode (H-mode) access, Be and W erosion, fuel recovery, etc). This effort also requires improving several aspects of plasmaoperation for DTE2, such as real time control schemes, heat load control, disruption avoidance and a mitigation system (including the installation of a new shattered pellet injector), novel ion cyclotron resonance heating schemes (such as the three-ions scheme), new diagnostics (neutron camera and spectrometer, active Alfven eigenmode antennas, neutral gauges, radiation hard imaging systems...) and the calibration of the JET neutron diagnostics at 14 MeV for accurate fusion power measurement. The active preparation of JET for the 2020 D-T campaign provides an incomparable source of information and a basis for the future D-T operation of ITER, and it is also foreseen that a large number of key physics issues will be addressed in support of burning plasmas.Peer reviewe

Testing of tritium breeder blanket activation foil spectrometer during JET operations

Accurate measurement of the nuclear environment within a test tritium breeding-blanket module of a fusion reactor is crucial to determine tritium production rates which are relevant to self-sufficiency of tritium fuel supply, tritium accountancy and also to the evaluation of localised power levels produced in blankets. This requires evaluation of the time-dependent spectral neutron flux within the test tritium breeding-blanket module under harsh radiation and temperature environments. The application of an activation foil-based spectrometer system to determine neutron flux density using a pneumatic transfer system in ITER has been studied, deployed and tested on the Joint European Torus (JET) machine in a recent deuterium - deuterium campaign for a selection of high purity activation foils. Deployment of the spectrometer system has provided important functional and practical testing of the detector measurement system, associated hardware and post processing techniques for the analysis of large data sets produced through the use of list mode data collection. The testing is invaluable for the optimisation of systems for future planned testing in tritium - tritium and deuterium - tritium conditions. Analysis of the time and energy spectra collected to date and the status of the development of methods for post processing are presented in this paper