Exposure and characterization of novel ceramic materials in DiMES
2024 Research Campaign, Thrust: FPP Candidate Walls
Purpose of Experiment
The walls of fusion devices are subjected to extreme heat fluxes, more than a reentry vehicle from space. Unlike reentry vehicles, these materials must be able to withstand the heat fluxes for extended periods of time because it takes days to months to swap out wall tiles. This is well-handled in today’s experiments, but future reactors will subject the wall to even more extreme heat fluxes. Even worse, future reactor walls will be subjected to an additional neutron flux from the nuclear fusion occurring in the core of the plasma. Neutron damage in materials can be extremely severe, sometimes more devastating than the impinging heat flux from the plasma. We will not be able to test materials in intense fusion neutron fluxes until these future reactors are built, but we have a decent understanding of which materials should be the most resistant to neutron damage by using results from today’s nuclear fission plants and experiments. Therefore, it is vital we test materials that are not only capable of handling the extreme heat flux in today/tomorrow’s fusion devices, but also resistant to the anticipated neutron damage that will occur. Advanced ceramics are a clear contender in this realm. A set of advanced ceramics has been identified that could be used in fusion devices: thermal plasma spray SiC, SiC-fiber reinforced SiC, TiB2 and ZrB2. The goal of this experiment is to “stress-test” these ceramics to demonstrate their ability to handle the intense heat fluxes in DIII-D, supporting the case for their inclusion in the fusion devices of today and tomorrow.