Qualification of Fabrication Technologies

A key competence of DAF is the development and qualification of technologies and processes for manufacturing of fusion relevant experimental components. The development procedure for qualification starts with fabrication experiments in laboratory scale. The experimental results will be used to define draft specifications to be applied in medium scale with involvement of industry. In collaboration with industry then prototypical Mock Ups of reactor relevant components are fabricated and tested. The qualification of experimental fabrication results is performed in collaboration with other KIT institutes or European partners by a series of standard procedures (e.g. leak and pressure test), non destructive (ultrasonic) and destructive (tensile, Charpy, macro- and micro material structure) testing routines. The final goal of the activity is the definition of Fabrication / Welding Procedure Specifications (F/WPS) which will be implemented in design codes (e.g. RCC-MR). The present activities are mainly concentrated on the development of the Breeder Blanket for DEMO. The main challenge is the development and implementation of new fabrication routines e.g. for the First Wall fulfilling the challenging design requirements in terms of dimensions, complex geometry and arrangement of surface structured cooling channels. Additionally a variety of welding procedures need to be qualified for the assembly of the Breeder Blanket box and internal structures. Technological novelties developed for nuclear fusion are also investigated for application in Concentrated Solar Power.