Improvements on the Diagnostic Residual Gas Analyzer at Wendelstein 7-X

Exhaust gas analysis provides key information on fusion processes, divertor operation, and wall state in fusion experiments and future reactors. The diagnostic residual gas analyzer (DRGA) concept has been developed for ITER with a focus on fast helium and hydrogen isotope detection. The first operation of the prototype DRGA (P-DRGA) at the stellarator Wendelstein 7-X showed potential for improvement in terms of magnetic sensor shielding, data acquisition automation, and potential new additions to the cluster of sensors on the P-DRGA. More recently, a Monte Carlo simulation of the flow of the mixed gas species effluent from the pressure-reducing orifice, down to about 8-m sampling tube and into the analysis region of the sensors, has been found to generally agree with previous calculations and measurements but revealed potential back-streaming effects for light gases, with impact on detection limits both for the prototype and for the ITER DRGA currently in design. For the upcoming campaign of the prototype, an enhanced soft iron shield will safeguard the gauges against magnetic stray field influence. The newly introduced shielding has been tested for its effect on magnetic stray fields and found to reduce the inside residual field by about two orders of magnitude.