Plasma-Facing Component Cooling With Segmented Jet Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plasma-facing components in plasma chambers, such as divertors and limiters, face challenges in efficiently managing high heat fluxes and waste material removal due to inefficient cooling methods, particularly at the divertor surfaces where heat loads exceed 10 MW per square meter.
Innovation Solution
A plasma-facing component design featuring internal cooling channels with alternating feed and return channels arranged in non-overlapping repeating units, combined with jet impingement, to enhance heat transfer efficiency and coolant fluid flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional cooling methods are used for divertor surfaces, then the structure is simple, but heat transfer efficiency is insufficient under heat loads exceeding 10 MW per square meter
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into multiple feed channels and return channels arranged in non-overlapping repeating units along the cooling channel length. Each unit contains openings of at least one feed channel and at least one return channel, creating segmented flow paths that enhance heat transfer efficiency while managing the complexity through modular repetition
Solution Approach 2:
Coolant fluid is directed against specific regions of the cooling channel wall through feed channels positioned at non-overlapping repeating units. This localized cooling approach targets high heat flux areas with enhanced coolant flow, improving heat transfer efficiency where needed without uniformly complicating the entire structure
2Temperature
If coolant flow rate is increased to manage high heat fluxes, then heat removal improves, but pressure drop and pumping power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling channel is divided into multiple feed and return channels arranged in non-overlapping repeating units. This segmentation distributes the total coolant flow into multiple parallel paths, reducing the flow rate and pressure drop in each individual channel while maintaining overall heat removal efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses carefully designed feed and return channel configurations to optimize hydraulic flow characteristics. The non-overlapping repeating units create balanced pressure distributions and reduce overall pumping power requirements by distributing flow through multiple efficient pathways
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design achieves enhanced heat transfer and coolant fluid turnover, effectively managing high heat fluxes and waste material deposition, reducing the risk of component degradation and extending operational lifespan.
Implementation Method 1
the feed channels being configured to direct coolant fluid against a region of a wall of the cooling channel
Implementation Method 2
The arrangement of the openings of the feed and return channels into the cooling channel provides fluid flow conditions that allow heat to be transferred to the coolant fluid efficiently
Data Source
AI summary
A plasma-facing component for a plasma chamber, comprising: a plasma-facing target surface; an inlet through which to receive a coolant fluid and an outlet through which to expel the coolant fluid; and a plurality of internal cooling channels. Each cooling channel is connected to the inlet by a plurality of feed channels and to the outlet by a plurality of return channels, the feed channels being configured to direct coolant fluid against a region of a wall of the cooling channel. Respective openings of the feed and return channels into the cooling channel are arranged in non-overlapping repeating units along a length of the cooling channel Each unit comprises openings of at least one feed channel and at least one return channel.