Effects of neutral gas pressure on calibration parameters of resistive bolometer sensors in fusion devices

Abstract

Ambient pressure may influence the thermal path between the absorber and heat sink of resistive bolometers and thus impact the calibration parameters. This effect is investigated for metal resistive bolometer sensors as used in bolometer diagnostics on fusion experiments. Measurements in the test facility IBOVAC indicate that pressure has no effect up to 10−3 mbar. However, a significant change in the cooling time constant is observed for pressures above 10−2 mbar, a reduction up to a factor of three at 1 mbar. The measurements performed in N2 and He atmospheres and simulations in H2 indicate no difference between the results from different gas species up to 10−3 mbar and less than 10 % up to 0.1 mbar. A model based on the thermal conductivity of the surrounding gas combined with the geometry of the sensor holder successfully demonstrates that the additional cooling path through the gas, which may vary between the measurement and reference absorbers, can explain the measurement results. Applying the model to the geometry of a sensor holder designed for port-mounted bolometer cameras in ITER led to design modifications that should help reduce the impact of high environmental pressures on the bolometer measurements. Similarly, it can be assumed that applying the model to the geometries and sensors of operating bolometer diagnostics can help correct the measurements and improve the understanding of plasma radiation in the case of high pressures at the location of bolometer sensors.