The target for the new plasma/wall experiment Magnum-PSI

The construction of Magnum-PSI is in its final stage. The aim is to provide a controlled and highly accessible linear plasma device to perform the basic plasma-surface interaction research needed for the design of the plasma facing components of future fusion devices. This contribution will focus on the thermal challenges imposed by those extreme conditions on the design of the target holder of Magnum-PSI. The target holder is designed to allow the exposure of large size targets with variable inclination angles with respect to the magnetic field. A test set up was made to test different interlayers (grafoil (R), soft metal sheets) and improve the thermal contact between the target and the heat sink. In addition, a modular target holder for sequential exposure of smaller size targets has been designed. Finite element modeling using the ANSYS code was used to optimize the cooling geometry and to predict the temperature profiles due to the heat load of the plasma. Experiments were done on the Pilot-PSI linear device to validate the thermal calculations. Calorimetry and infrared thermography were used to experimentally measure the temperature profile on the target and the heat deposition. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.