Speaker
Dr
Ulrich Fischer
(Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe)
Description
The need to develop and qualify materials that can withstand the high radiation and
heat loadings anticipated for a fusion reactor is a key problem in the development of
fusion as a future energy source. No appropriate materials test facility is available
at present to properly simulate a fusion neutron radiation field and investigate the
effect of the resulting radiation damage and elemental transmutations on the material
properties at conditions anticipated for a future fusion demonstration or power reactor.
Various concepts for an intense high energy neutron source have been proposed in the
past including plasma based volumetric D–T devices and accelerator driven facilities.
Their suitability and feasibility was evaluated, key requirements were defined and
recommendations for viable options were elaborated. The concept of an accelerator
based source which utilises the Deuterium-Lithium (D-Li) stripping reaction for the
neutron production was considered the best choice to fulfil the requirements within a
realistic time scale. This led to the project for an International Fusion Materials
Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) conducted under the auspices of the International Energy
Agency (IEA).
The presentation will review the needs and requirements for fusion reactor material
irradiations, address the question of the suitability of the accelerator driven D-Li
source and then focus on the recent progress achieved with the IFMIF project.
Primary author
Dr
Ulrich Fischer
(Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe)
