The accomplishments of lithium target and test facility validation activities in the IFMIF/EVEDA phase

Abstract

During the Engineering Validation and Engineering Design Activities (EVEDA) phase of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF), major elements of the Lithium Target Facility (the neutron source) and the Test Facility (implementing the irradiation experiments) were prototyped and tested. These works were successfully concluded in the frame of the Japanese and European Broader approach activities between 2007 -20015.The validation activities included basic research (SSTT, corrosion), components (irradiation modules) and large scale facilities (lithium and helium loops). The results were fed back to the EVEDA design process and support the ongoing design activities towards an IFMIF plant to be realized timely, as necessary element of the fusion roadmaps.

The IFMIF-DONES Project: Design Status and Main Achievements Within the EUROfusion FP8 Work Programme

“…A number of important validation results and lessons learned relevant to the design of IFMIF-DONES has been achieved both in the past IFMIF/EVEDA phase [ 40 ] and within the more recent EUROfusion WPENS (FP8) activities [ 41 ].…”

“…Tiered-commissioning of the accelerator systems started in November 2014 and is planned to be completed by integral commissioning and long-pulsed operational testing in the next few years [ 42 ]; The Experimental Lithium Test Loop (ELTL) built at Oarai, Japan [ 43 ], integrating all the elements of the IFMIF lithium target facility. It was commissioned in February 2011 and the test programme was completed in 2014 with the successful proof of the long-time stability of the liquid lithium jet forming the target [ 40 , 44 ], complemented by corrosion experiments performed on the Lifus 6 lithium loop constructed at ENEA Brasimone Research Centre in Italy [ 45 ]; The HFTM prototype along with a prototype of the specimen capsules. This latter prototype was tested under irradiation in the BR2 fission reactor at SCK/CEN in Belgium but the results left some open questions regarding the performance under irradiation of the installed electric heaters which thus need to be finally addressed again in FP9.…”

“…The Experimental Lithium Test Loop (ELTL) built at Oarai, Japan [ 43 ], integrating all the elements of the IFMIF lithium target facility. It was commissioned in February 2011 and the test programme was completed in 2014 with the successful proof of the long-time stability of the liquid lithium jet forming the target [ 40 , 44 ], complemented by corrosion experiments performed on the Lifus 6 lithium loop constructed at ENEA Brasimone Research Centre in Italy [ 45 ];…”

Overview of IFMIF-DONES diagnostics: Requirements and techniques

“…In the context of the IFMIF Engineering Validation and Engineering Design Activities (EVEDA) project [14], several prototypes have been built and operated during the last decade, providing technical feedback that is being included in the IFMIF-DONES Design. Some of them are the accelerator prototype (LIPAc) at Rokkasho (Japan) [15], the EVEDA lithium test loop at Oarai [16] and Li loop (Lifus6) in Brasimone [17], as well as the HFTM and irradiation capsules prototypes, including the testing of the latter in the Belgian BR2 test reactor [18,19].…”

Potential irradiation of Cu alloys and tungsten samples in DONES

“…In this framework is where IFMIF-DONES (DEMO oriented neutron source) [21][22][23] plays an important role in order to test materials under similar neutron nuclear fusion irradiation condition. But, as the irradiation requirements of high flux test module (HFTM) [24][25][26][27] of IFMIF-DONES were designed to reproduce the nuclear fusion irradiation condition for EUROFER samples, in this work the potential use of the HFTM to test Cu-alloys and W under similar nuclear fusion irradiation conditions is addressed, i.e. to verify whether design equivalent nuclear fusion irradiation condition is possible.…”