Speaker
Jan Prokupek
(Technological Experimental Loops)
Description
The ITER first wall panels are exposed directly to thermonuclear plasma and must extract heat loads of about 2 MW/m² (EU) to 4.7 MW/m² (RF + CN). The panels are qualified through high heat flux cyclic testing before the installation in ITER. Initially the first wall panel prototypes will undergo full-power tests, this will be followed by the pre-series panels and finally the series panels.
The experimental complex HELCZA has been completed and is entering the commissioning phase (written first half of 2016). HELCZA will provide a cyclic heating of the ITER EU first wall panels with a heat flux in the multi-MW/m² range (the facility is capable to reach the GW/m² scale) using an 800 kW electron beam.
The test area in HELCZA is about 3 m². The electron beam gun electromagnetic system provides a beam scanning frequency of 20 kHz at the primary deflection angle up to ±40 degrees. A secondary deflection system on the vessel can be used to ensure perpendicular beam incidence to the surface of the panel. HELCZA is equipped with a 3D kinematic system for panel tilting, which allows the incidence angle of the beam relative to the plate to be chosen. The test facility provides for thermo-hydraulic and infrared measurement. The tested panels are cooled by demineralised water at an inlet temperature of 70ºC and at a pressure of 4 MPa. However, operational conditions of the HELCZA facility enable the temperature of the cooling water to be set between 25ºC and 320ºC, within a water pressure range between 1 – 15 MPa. The cooling system provides an optimal flow rate between 0 m³/h and 40 m³/h whatever the pressure.
The opinions expressed are those of the CVR‘s only and do not represent Fusion for Energy's official position.
Co-authors
Jan Prokupek
(Technological Experimental Loops, Centrum výzkumu Řež s.r.o., Husinec-Řež, Czech Republic)
Pierre Gavila
(Fusion for Energy, Josep Pla, 2, Torres Diagonal Litoral B3, 08019 Barcelona, Spain)
Richard Jilek
(Technological Experimental Loops, Centrum výzkumu Řež s.r.o., Husinec-Řež, Czech Republic)