EAST Actively-cooled Plasma-facing Components (PFCs) installed

EAST actively-cooled PFCs installation was completed Thursday, May 8. The PFCs consist of upper and lower divertors, high and low field side plates, and passive plates, made of B-Si-Ti-doped graphite tiles bolted to actively-cooled CuCrZr heat sinks. Altogether over 50,000 pieces of parts, including more than 8000 tiles, 270 heat sinks and 300 supports have been used and it is expected that the divertor could withstand heat loads of maximum 2MW/m2 in the coming experiment campaigns. New electromagnetic coils for better plasma measurements and control, and a circular inner cryopump directly mounted under the lower divertor, have also been installed during this in-vessel components project.

According to the schedule, EAST vacuum vessels will be closed before the end of May, then pumped, leak-checked and cooled down in the following weeks. Operation will begin around Mid June, last one month or one and a half months. (Shaohua reports)