Overview of the IFMIF/EVEDA project

Abstract

IFMIF, the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility, is presently in its engineering validation and engineering design activities (EVEDA) phase under the Broader Approach Agreement. The engineering design activity (EDA) phase was successfully accomplished within the allocated time. The engineering validation activity (EVA) phase has focused on validating the Accelerator Facility (AF), the Target Facility and the Test Facility (TF) by constructing prototypes. The ELTL at JAEA, Oarai successfully demonstrated the long-term stability of a Li flow under the IFMIF’s nominal operational conditions keeping the specified free-surface fluctuations below ±1 mm in a continuous manner for 25 d. A full-scale prototype of the high flux test module (HFTM) was successfully tested in the HELOKA loop (KIT, Karlsruhe), where it was demonstrated that the irradiation temperature can be set individually and kept uniform. LIPAc, designed and constructed in European labs under the coordination of F4E, presently under installation and commissioning in the Rokkasho Fusion Institute, aims at validating the concept of IFMIF accelerators with a D+ beam of 125 mA continuous wave (CW) and 9 MeV. The commissioning phases of the H+/D+ beams at 100 keV are progressing and should be concluded in 2017; in turn, the commissioning of the 5 MeV beam is due to start during 2017. The D+ beam through the superconducting cavities is expected to be achieved within the Broader Approach Agreement time frame with the superconducting cryomodule being assembled in Rokkasho. The realisation of a fusion-relevant neutron source is a necessary step for the successful development of fusion. The ongoing success of the IFMIF/EVEDA involves ruling out concerns about potential technical showstoppers which were raised in the past. Thus, a situation has emerged where soon steps towards constructing a Li(d,xn) fusion-relevant neutron source could be taken, which is also justified in the light of costs which are marginal to those of a fusion plant.

The Soreq Applied Research Accelerator Facility (SARAF): Overview, research programs and future plans

“…The operation experience of SARAF-I proved the applicability of HWR technology to light-ions highintensity CW accelerators, and is therefore now used in the design and implementation of such accelerators world-wide, including the EURISOL driver [11], CADS injector-II [12], IFMIF/EVEDA [13], PXIE [14] and also for heavy ions drivers such as FRIB [15].…”

Enabling validated exascale nuclear science

“…It is clear from the timeline of fusion devices that are currently planned, along with other supporting facilities, there is no facility currently being planned that covers the appropriate radiation, thermal, magnetic, and plasma loads to be used to qualify materials and entire components. There are plans to qualify materials in IFMIF [13] which will irradiate small coupons of materials to power plant relevant Displacements Per Atom (DPA) which can be used to validate findings of atomistic Density Functional Theory (DFT) predictions of performance and DPA prediction, but those materials will not be exposed to appropriate plasma, temperature or magnetic conditions.…”

The European roadmap towards fusion electricity

“…The International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) is an accelerator-based neutron source [9] required to test and validate materials for DEMO and Fusion Power Plants under a fusion relevant neutron load and spectrum. The materials test facility should become operational in the second half of the 2020s such that the new materials are validated before DEMO is due to be built.…”