Integrated models to study the impact of ELMs and disruptions on lithium in the NSTX divertor

Abstract Lithium as a potential plasma-facing material has many attractive features including a reduction in recycling of hydrogenic species and ability to withstand high heat and neutron fluxes in fusion reactors. Recent analysis of the National Spherical Torus eXperiment (NSTX) device has shown significant and recurring benefits of lithium coatings on plasma-facing components performance. To self-consistently study the performance of lithium divertor during ELMs and disruptions in NSTX, integrated multi-fluid and multi-dimensional models are being developed based on HEIGHTS simulation package that address and combine several areas from the bulk plasma energy released to the magneto-hydrodynamic evolution and production of lithium plasma in the complex magnetic field structure. The simulation showed the importance of the 3D geometrical effects on divertor erosion dynamics. Lithium expansion in divertor and SOL areas may potentially cause bulk plasma contamination during high power ELMs.