29th Symposium on Fusion Technology (SOFT 2016)

P4.113 Progress in design and prototyping activities for the Material Plasma Exposure Experiment

8 Sep 2016, 14:20

1h 40m

Foyer 2A (2nd floor), 3A (3rd floor) (Prague Congress Centre)

Board: 113

Poster F. Plasma Facing Components P4 Poster session

Speaker

Arnold Lumsdaine (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

Description

One of the critical challenges for the development of next generation fusion facilities, such as a Fusion Nuclear Science Facility (FNSF) or DEMO, is the understanding of plasma material interactions (PMI).  The field of PMI occurs at the intersection of plasma physics, materials science, and engineering, and requires expertise and research and development in each of these fields.  Making progress in PMI research will require integrated facilities that can provide the types of conditions that will be seen in the first wall and divertor regions of future fusion facilities.  To meet this need, a linear plasma facility, the Materials Plasma Exposure Experiment, is proposed.  The plasma source will be a helicon antenna, with heating provided by electron Bernstein wave and ion cyclotron heating systems.  This will produce heat fluxes of up to 10 MW/m²2 and ion fluxes of up to 10²⁴24/m²2-s over a 75 cm² 2 area at the target.  In order to provide long-pulse conditions, plasma will be confined with superconducting magnets with on-axis fields from 1-2.5 Tesla, and all plasma facing components will be actively cooled.  In order to examine the plasma interactions with neutron damaged materials, MPEX will have the capability to handle low activation irradiated samples.  A vacuum cask which can be disconnected from the high field environment in order to execute in-situ diagnostics is planned for the facility as well. Details of the pre-conceptual design and research and development of the various systems of MPEX will be presented.  This includes the plasma and heating sources, the vacuum system, the water cooling system, the magnet and cryogenic system, the controls systems, the diagnostic systems, and the sample handling and examination stations.  Progress in the design and prototype testing will also be presented.