High-speed lithium pellet injector commissioning in ASDEX Upgrade to investigate impact of Li in an all-metal wall tokamak

Encouraging results with respect to plasma performance have been observed in several tokamak devices (TFTR, NSTX, etc) when injecting Lithium. Recently, a pedestal broadening resulting in an enhanced energy content during transient ELM-free H-mode phases was achieved in DIII-D. Experiments are planned at ASDEX Upgrade, aiming to investigate the impact of Li in an all-metal wall tokamak and to enhance the pedestal operational space. For this purpose, a Lithium pellet injector has been developed, capable of injecting pellets with a particle content up to 1.64 . 10²⁰ atoms (1.89 mg) at a foreseen maximum repetition rate of 3 Hz. Free flight launch from the torus outboard side without a guiding tube is envisaged. A transfer efficiency exceeding 90 % was achieved in the test bed. Pellets will be accelerated in a gas gun; hence special care must be taken to avoid deleterious effects by the propellant gas pulse, this being the main plasma gas, leading to speeds ranging from 500 (m)/(s) to 800 (m)/(s). Additionally, a large expansion volume equipped with a cryopump is added in to the flight path. The injector is expected to commence operation by May 2015.