Neutron Irradiation Experiments to Support Fusion Blanket Development

Fusion blankets are fundamental to the success of fusion energy systems, serving three primary functions: power harnessing, tritium breeding, and radiation shielding. However, because there is no dedicated nuclear blanket component test facility (n-BCTF), fusion blanket technologies have lacked relevant and necessary nuclear testing. This article describes a comprehensive set of experiments that have begun or will begin soon to advance blanket technology utilizing existing fission capabilities. The irradiation experiments include: 1) a thermal convection loop and the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) to study power extraction and irradiation-induced corrosion; 2)solid breeder irradiation in the Neutron Radiography Reactor (NRAD) to understand tritium release behavior; 3) irradiation of solid breeder materials in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) to investigate mechanical integrity; 4) irradiation of 6Li-enriched breeder specimens for neutronic benchmarking; and 5)and the neutron irradiation of high-temperature superconductor magnets in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor (MITR) to determine their shielding requirements. Collectively, these experiments will address critical challenges that have been difficult to investigate without an n-BCTF and will lead to the design of such a facility.