Design improvement of the target elements of Wendelstein 7-X divertor

The actively cooled high-heat flux divertor of the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator consists of individual target elements made of a water-cooled CuCrZr copper alloy heat sink armored with CFC tiles. The so-called “bi-layer” technology developed in collaboration with the company Plansee for the bonding of the tiles onto the heat sink has reliably demonstrated the removal of the specified heat load of 10 MW/m2 in the central area of the divertor. However, due to geometrical constraints, the loading performance at the ends of the elements is reduced compared to the central part. Design modifications compatible with industrial processes have been made to improve the cooling capabilities at this location. These changes have been validated during test campaigns of full-scale prototypes carried out in the neutral beam test facility GLADIS. The tested solution can remove reliably the stationary heat load of 5 MW/m2 and 2 MW/m2 on the top and on the side of the element, respectively. The results of the testing allowed the release of the design and fabrication processes for the next manufacturing phase of the target elements.