Multiplexing thermography for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor divertor targets

Abstract

The concept of multiplexing thermography is applied to the design of the divertor thermography system for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The combination of the front mirror with multiellipticity and a Czerney–Turner spectrometer with a 0.2 mm pitched multichannel detector enables a spatial resolution of 3 mm and a time resolution of 20 μs above a target temperature of 300 °C to be achieved. This should be sufficient to measure ELM heat fluxes to the targets in ITER. To satisfy the measurement requirement, it is very important to keep an accurate alignment around the optical axis against movement of the vessel during the plasma discharges. Several key engineering problems, such as the survivability of components against mirror coating by redeposited divertor material, remain to be solved. Potential solutions have been identified.