Feasibility Studies of the ITER Cryogenic System at KSTAR

Abstract

One of the main challenges of the ITER cryogenic system is to manage the large pulsed heat load variation generated by the superconducting magnet system during the fusion experiments. A solution proposed to smooth such pulses and verified by numerical simulations is to use the ITER magnet structure (ST) system as a thermal buffer by taking advantage of its large mass of about 5,000 tons and consequent thermal inertia. In order to validate the simulated predictions, tests have been executed on existing cryogenic facilities. In this paper we will present the results of the ITER cryogenic system feasibility tests performed at KSTAR. The tests were concentrated on the heat load mitigation scenario of the ITER ST via variation of the coolant mass flow rate by using a flow by-pass valve in parallel with an in-line valve.