Eddy Currents, Electromagnetic Forces and Related Mechanical Effects in the NET Plasma Facing Components

The plasma facing components (PFCs) of a magnetic confinement fusion reactor are located in a region where the magnetic fields are very large and strongly varying during normal or abnormal transients. These variations induce high eddy currents in the passive metallic structures, and, related to these, large forces and energy dissipation. Therefore, it is essential to perform a detailed analysis of the electromagnetic response of the PFCs to an extremely demanding condition such as a plasma disruption. First objectives of this analysis are to: - determine the currents distribution in order to select a proper geometry to mitigate their effects; - evaluate the forces in order to choose the thicknesses and the reinforcement adequate to cope with them; - to investigate mechanical effects and define the requirements for the supporting structure.