Near term, low cost, 14 MeV fusion neutron irradiation facility for testing the viability of fusion structural materials

Abstract

For over 50 years, engineers have been looking for an irradiation facility that can provide a fusion reactor appropriate neutron spectrum over a significant volume to test fusion reactor materials that is relatively inexpensive and can be built in a minimum of time. The 14MeV neutron irradiation facility described here can nearly exactly duplicate the neutron spectrum typical of a DT fusion reactor first wall at damage rates of ≈4 displacements per atom and 40appm He generated over a 2l volume per full power year of operation. The projected cost of this multi-beam facility is estimated at ≈$20 million and it can be built in <4 years. A single-beam prototype, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, is already being built to produce medical isotopes. The neutrons are produced by a 300keV deuterium beam accelerated into 4kPa (30Torr) tritium target. The total tritium inventory is <2g and <0.1g of T2 is consumed per year. The core technology proposed has already been fully demonstrated, and no new plasma physics or materials innovations will be required for the test facility to become operational.