Results of an International Study on a High-Volume Plasma-Based Neutron Source for Fusion Blanket Development

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Abstract
An international study conducted by technical experts from Europe, Japan, Russia, and the United States has evaluated the technical issues and the required testing facilities for the development of fusion blanket/first-wall systems and has found that some of the key requirements for the engineering feasibility of blanket concepts cannot be established prior to extensive testing in the fusion environment. However, because of availability and low cost, testing in nonfusion facilities (e.g., fission reactors and laboratory experiments) serves a critical role in blanket research and development (R&D) and reduces the risks and costs of the more complex and expensive fusion experiments. A comprehensive analysis shows that the fusion testing requirements for meeting the goal of demonstrating a blanket system availability in DEMO > 50% are as follows: a 1 to 2 MW/m2 neutron wall load, a steady-state plasma operation, a > 10-m2 test area, and a fluence of > 6 MW·yr/m2. This testing fluence includes 1 to 3 ...