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Plasma–Wall Interaction with Reduced Activation Steel Surfaces in Fusion Devices
Closed for proposals
Project Type
Project Code
F43022CRP
2023Approved Date
Status
Start Date
Expected End Date
Completed Date
11 December 2019Participating Countries
Description
Various kinds of reduced activation steel are being considered as wall material for a fusion reactor, but not enough is known about plasma–wall interaction, erosion and tritium retention in such steels. Erosion brings impurities into the plasma and limits the lifetime of the wall. Hydrogen penetration and retention in the surface remove tritium from the plasma, making it unavailable for fusion. This CRP will enhance the knowledge base and develop new databases on the interaction of fusion plasmas with reduced activation steel alloys that are considered for fusion. The CRP will seek to quantify the erosion due to exposure to plasma and to quantify the retention and transport properties of tritium in the surface.
Objectives
To increase capabilities of Member States to undertake fusion plasma and fusion materials modelling and to support planning and design efforts in Member States towards DEMO and a Fusion Power Plant through the enhancement of the knowledge base on properties of reduced-activation steels as a plasma-facing material in a fusion nuclear environment, and thereby to contribute to the development of fusion energy generation. To develop the knowledge base on the relation between steel microstructure and erosion and hydrogen retention and permeation properties and thereby support an expert assessment of the utility of various kinds of steel as plasma-facing material in a fusion nuclear environment.
Specific objectives
To perform investigations and assemble information about the characterization of microstructure of steel surfaces exposed to fusion neutrons and energetic plasma particles.
To perform investigations and assemble information about the relation between steel microstructure after irradiation and plasma-material interaction properties for erosion, tritium retention and tritium migration.
To perform investigations and assemble information about ways to mitigate tritium penetration and tritium retention in steel surfaces and to extract trapped tritium.
To synthesize new information, extrapolate to relevant fusion neutron and charged particle fluence, and provide best expert estimates and uncertainties for plasma-material interaction properties (especially tritium retention and tritium transport) for steel surfaces in a fusion reactor environment.
Impact
Reduced-activation steel is an important candidate material for the first-wall of a future nuclear fusion power plant and the data measured, calculated and evaluated as part of this CRP significantly contributes to the global knowledge base allowing researchers to determine its properties and behaviour under relevant conditions. Such a power plant may not be built for several years, but the carefully-curated data made available through the IAEA's website provides a long-term resource to assist with its development.
Relevance
The first-wall materials in current use in experimental fusion devices are, for various reasons, unsuited to the long-term commercial operation of a power plant. The assorted reduced-activation ferritic martensitic steels considered as part of this CRP are under serious consideration for a power plant and the timely measurement and collection of data concerning their properties is highly relevant to this consideration.