Production and launch studies of cryogenic pellets for the ITER Disruption Mitigation System

A support laboratory has been set up to study pellet production, launch and shattering of cryogenic protium, deuterium, and neon pellets for the ITER Disruption Mitigation System (DMS), which plans to use 28.5 x 57 mm (diameter x length) protium, neon an mixture pellets in the Shattered Pellet Injectors. Such large protium pellets have not been produced and launched before, therefore the desublimation and launch process have been studied in detail in two steps. First 19 mm diameter pellets were produced, followed by the demonstration of the final pellet size. Pellet desublimation recipes were established for all pellet types, and it was found that, under certain conditions, even the large neon pellets can be launched with a propellent gas pulse, without requiring a mechanical punch device. This is attributed to cryogenic snow formation on the surface of the pellet. Conditions for the snow formation are studied and tendencies are understood using simple calculations.