High heat flux facility GLADIS: Operational characteristics and results of W7-X pre-series target tests

The new ion beam facility GLADIS started the operation at IPP Garching. The facility is equipped with two individual 1.1 MW power ion sources for testing actively cooled plasma facing components under high heat fluxes. Each ion source generates heat loads between 3 and 55 MW/m(2) with a beam diameter of 70 mm at the target position. These parameters allow effective testing from probes to large components up to 2 in length. The high heat flux allows the target to be installed inclined to the beam and thus increases the heated surface length up to 200 mm for a heat flux of 15 MW/m(2) in the standard operating regime. Thus the facility has the potential capability for testing of full scale ITER divertor targets. Heat load tests on the WENDELSTEIN 7-X pre-series divertor targets have been successfully started. These tests will validate the design and manufacturing for the production of 950 elements. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.