Lithium capillary porous system behavior as PFM in FTU tokamak experiments

Liquid lithium use on the base of capillary porous systems (CPS) application as plasma facing material (PFM) of tokamaks is advanced way to solve the problems of plasma contamination with high Z impurity, PFM degradation and tritium retention. In frame of joint program between ENEA (Italy) and FSUE ‘Red Star’ & TRINITI (RF) started at the end of 2005 the test of passive cooled liquid lithium limiter (LLL) with CPS in a high field, medium size, carbon free tokamak FTU have been performed successfully. The LLL has been inserted in ohmic plasma discharges and at additional heating with LH and ECR at power levels in the MW range without any particular problem (BT = 6 T, Ip = 0.5–0.9 MA, ne = 0.2–2.6 × 1020 m−3, τ = 1.5 s, P ∼2–5 MW/m2 at a normal discharge). The behavior of lithium CPS based on stainless steel wire mesh and its surface modification in normal discharges and at disruptions has been studied. Results of microscopic analyses of CPS structure after experimental campaigns are presented. The possibility to withstand heat load exceeding 5 MW/m2 without structural damage, lithium surface renewal, mechanical stabilization of liquid lithium against MHD forces have been confirmed. Application of W, Mo as the base material and possible structure types of CPS have been considered for operating parameters improvement of long-living plasma facing components.