Numerical study of divertor detachment in TCV H-mode scenarios

The effect of divertor closure and nitrogen seeding on the detachment process has been studied by performing 2D numerical simulations of tokamak à configuration variable (TCV) H-mode divertor scenarios with the SOLEDGE3X-EIRENE edge plasma transport code. The simulations reveal that, in the cases with only deuterium gas fuelling, detachment occurs at a similar level of divertor neutral pressure ( ≈ 0.76 Pa), despite the difference in divertor closure achieved by changing the length of the outer baffle. Nitrogen reduces the target temperature with little effect on the upstream density and momentum loss but drops the upstream pressure, leading to a decrease in the target particle flux and divertor neutral pressure. Furthermore, when the radiation front starts to move up from the outer target, the peak parallel heat flux level at the outer target remains approximately the same ( ≈ 2.3 MW m⁻²), regardless of whether it is a deuterium fuelling scan, a nitrogen seeding scan at a fixed fuelling rate, or a change in the length of the outer baffle. An empirical partial detachment qualifier calibrated on AUG experimental data was compared with the TCV simulations. The results show good agreement in detachment state prediction, indicating the potential of this detachment qualifier to be applied in devices of different sizes, emphasizing the combined influence of input power entering the divertor, neutral pressure, and the concentration and species of impurity in achieving divertor detachment.