Effects of ELMs on ITER divertor armour materials

Abstract This paper is concerned with investigation of an erosion of the ITER-like divertor plasma facing components under plasma heat loads expected during the Type I ELMs in ITER. These experiments were carried out on plasma accelerator QSPA at the SRC RF TRINITI under EU/RF collaboration. Targets were exposed by series repeated plasma pulses with heat loads in a range of 0.5–1.5 MJ/m 2 and pulse duration 0.5 ms. Erosion of CFC macrobrushes was determined mainly by sublimation of PAN-fibres that was less than 2.5 μm per pulse. The CFC erosion was negligible at the energy density less than 0.5 MJ/m 2 and was increased to the average value 0.3 μm per pulse at 1.5 MJ/m 2 . The pure tungsten macrobrushes erosion was small in the energy range of 0.5–1.3 MJ/m 2 . The sharp growth of tungsten erosion and the intense droplet ejection were observed at the energy density of 1.5 MJ/m 2 .