Construction of Fusion Material Testing Facility Under Way
Construction of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility-Demo Oriented Neutron Source (IFMIF-DONES) for qualification of the materials to be used in a fusion power plant has started in Granada, Spain.
The ITER Organization noted that high kinetic energy of fast neutrons produced in a deuterium-tritium fusion reaction is converted into heat as they pass through the walls of the tokamak, allowing for significant power generation. However, those same high-energy neutrons, over a period of sustained bombardment, cause material degradation through the process of transmutation.
The level of neutron irradiation planned for demonstration fusion power plants (DEMOs) has never been tested. In order to build DEMOs out of materials that can withstand such harsh bombardment, developers are looking to neutron sources as a way to mimic fusion conditions for materials testing.
The IFMIF-DONES materials testing facility will simulate DEMO-like conditions for potential structural materials. It will use a particle accelerator to produce a continuous-wave deuteron (D+) beam aimed at a target made of a liquid lithium curtain. The interaction between deuterium and lithium will generate enough free neutrons. Directly behind the lithium target will be the high-flux test module, which will house capsules of material samples for neutron irradiance testing.
Construction of the IFMIF-DONES facility is expected to take about 10 years to complete and technological exploitation will last at least 30 years.