BasesfordustmobilizationmodellinginthelightofSTARDUSTexperimentsOriginalResearchArticle

ThispaperdealswiththeanalysisofthefirstseriesoftheexperimentsforthestudiesonthemobilizationoftungstendustsperformedinthefacilitySmallTankforAerosolRemovalandDust(STARDUST)locatedintheENEAFUSlaboratoriesinFrascati(Rome).TheseexperimentshavebeencarriedonintheframeoftheEuropeanFusionDevelopmentAgreement(EFDA)forthesafetyresearchactivitiesonnuclearfusionplants.Furthermore,simulationsoftheseresuspensionexperimentshavebeenperformedwiththeCESIandEdFECARTcodetoforeseethedustmobilizationbehaviorandemployingalsotheFLUENTComputationalFluidDynamic(CFD)packagetoperform3Danalysisofthevelocityfieldsinsidethefacility.TheinvestigationofthephenomenabymeansoftheECARTcodewillallow,inthefuture,toperformBestEstimate(BE)safetyanalysisofthedustmobilizationinsidethevacuumvessel(VV)oftheInternationalThermonuclearExperimentalReactor(ITER),becausetheresultsobtainedhaveafearagreementwiththeexperimentalones.Inthepaper,thedescriptionoftheECARTdustresuspensionmodelandthecoderesultsarealsopresented,togetherwiththeexperimentaldataobtainedfortheseriesoftheexperimentscarriedoutemployingatungstendust,atalowpressurizationrate(300Pa/s),tosimulatealossofvacuumaccident(LOVA)insideITERduetoasmallairleakatthedivertorportlevel.