Technology development of the soft X-ray tomography system in Wendelstein 7-X stellarator

The engineering and design of the soft X-ray Multi Camera Tomography System (XMCTS) in Wendelstein 7-X stellarator (W7-X) must fulfill several additional requirements compared to short pulse machines. The XMCTS has to withstand irradiation and electron cyclotron microwave loads in addition to being ultra high vacuum compatible, having low magnetic permeability and using low neutron activation materials (e.g. Co <= 2000 ppm). A further difficulty is the limited space inside the plasma vessel, which requires special engineering solutions. After detailed design development, supported by finite element analyses, prototypes have been manufactured and tested. At the end all test results have successfully proven that the components fulfill the requirements and that reliable and stable measurements will be possible with the XMCTS diagnostics during W7-X operation. The paper describes the design and the technological development, in particular on the electric multipin feedthrough (UHV barrier between in vessel detectors and the preamplifiers), the active cooling of the electronic components (reducing dark current/noise increase), the pneumatic shutter (protection of the detectors from sputtering and during baking) and the fiber optics illumination system (calibration of the detectors). (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.