In order to operate reliable beam-intercepting devices in the framework of energy and intensity increase projects of the future, it is essential to develop a strong R&D for robust target and beam window. The international RaDIATE collaboration, established in 2012 and led by Fermilab, connects expertise in nuclear material and accelerate targets to generate useful materials data for...
The IFMIF-DONES Facility will be a first-class scientific infrastructure situated in Granada, Spain. It will comprise an accelerator-driven neutron source capable of delivering ~1017 n/s with a broad peak at 14 MeV. The neutron source will be generated by impinging a continuous wave 125 mA, 40 MeV deuteron beam into a liquid Li jet target, circulating at 15 m/s and evacuating the 5 MW power of...
IFMIF-DONES is a research facility designed to irradiate and qualify materials for future fusion reactors. At the core of the facility are the Lithium Systems, which generate an intense neutron flux (1-5$\cdot$10$^{14}$ n/cm$^2$s, with a broad peak at 14 MeV) through the interaction of a 40 MeV, 125 mA deuteron beam with a flowing liquid lithium target. The Lithium Systems consist of four key...
For R&D of materials, especially beam intercept ones used in high-intensity proton beams, J-PARC plans to build a Proton Beam Irradiation facility using 400 MeV protons. A multi-purpose use for this facility, not only for material damage induced by the radiation but also Single Event Effects studies for semiconductor devices using proton and neutron and medical RI production, will be...
J-PARC (Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex) consists of a series of world-class proton accelerators and the experimental facilities that make use of the high-intensity proton beams. Recently, higher intense proton beams are requested due to requirement of further physics research. However, irradiation damage and thermal shock in the target, beam window, and other beam-intercepting...
In this talk, I will provide an update on nuclear materials research at the University of Birmingham including some recently development of the irradiation facility. This includes:
1) Research projects recently started on nuclear fission materials: Zircaloys
2) R&D in fusion energy materials: RAFM steels, plasma facing materials.
3) Irradiation facility update: End-station development
Radiation-induced effects in materials can alter the microstructure and mechanical properties of structural materials, typically resulting in a degradation of the ductility and fracture toughness. Characterization and understanding of the microstructural changes and deformation processes that occur in irradiated materials are critical for preventing failure and ensuring reliable operation of...
The development of advanced experimental setups capable of simulating the harsh conditions of a fusion reactor is crucial for the future of nuclear materials research. Currently, the scientific community is making significant efforts to understand the complex mechanisms underlying the relationship between irradiation damage, mechanical stress, and high temperature when applied simultaneously....
One of the materials that will be investigated in the IFMIF-DONES facility is EUROFER97, a reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steel and the European reference steel for the First Wall and the Breeding Blanket of DEMO.
It is now well-established that defects generated under neutron irradiation strongly affect mechanical properties, and thus, the material’s performance [1]. In...
The mission of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility-DEMO Oriented NEutron Source (IFMIF-DONES) is to test materials under equivalent nuclear fusion irradiation conditions and doses to be qualified for the future fusion power plant DEMO.
Transmutation calculations are essential for understanding how radiation can affect materials. Therefore, a comparison of transmutation in...
In the context of material irradiation simulations, we have developed a model that combines the results from Molecular Dynamics (MD) and the Binary Collision Approximation (BCA) to reconstruct the damage produced by an irradiated ion of any energy of interest. Our tool, which will be available for the community, is aimed to provide a standardised way of introducing defects in larger scale...
Machine Learning Interatomic Potentials (MLIAPs) mix the accuracy of ab initio methods such as Density Functional Theory (DFT), with the scalability of classical interatomic potentials. Fusion structural materials, employed in the construction of future fusion reactors, experiment high neutron radiation doses. This radiation disturbs the crystal structure, generating defects in the lattice. To...
As beam power continues to increase in next-generation accelerator facilities, high-power target systems face crucial challenges. Components like beam windows and particle-production targets must endure significantly higher levels of particle fluence. The primary beam’s energy deposition causes rapid heating (thermal shock) and induces microstructural changes (radiation damage) within the...
Beam power and runtime in high energy particle accelerators are currently limited by targets and beam windows. The existing materials used in these components have reached their maximum potential, necessitating the development of a new class of materials known as high entropy alloys (HEAs) to overcome this challenge. Numerous studies have demonstrated that HEAs possess exceptional qualities...
Fermilab’s High Power Targetry Research and Development (HPT R&D) group have been developing and studying an electrospun nanofiber target concept to support the need for robust targets in future fixed target facilities. These nanofiber mats have demonstrated resistance to radiation damage, and the free motion of the individual fibers is expected to mitigate the cyclic stresses induced by a...
The target assembly for the Second Target Station (STS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is working towards final design approval in late 2025, and R&D continues to focus on the manufacturing of the target segments. The novel design of the target segment and unique combination of materials has driven the process development towards solid state bonding techniques (vacuum hot pressing (VHP) and...
Evaluating structural integrity requires knowledge of the distribution of, and relationship between, stress and strain as well as how the microstructure accommodates damage. New candidate graphites possess different microstructures to previous grades; there is a need to validate materials understanding on these new graphite grades, as well as collect data at relevant temperatures for materials...
The International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility - DEMO Oriented NEutron Source (IFMIF-DONES) is a neutron irradiation facility designed to provide critical material irradiation data for the construction of DEMOnstration fusion power plants. The present work focuses on examining the thermal requirements of the High Flux Test Module (HFTM) from a reliability analysis perspective. To...
IFMIF-DONES is a radiological facility designed to irradiate material samples under irradiation conditions similar to those expected in future fusion reactors. For this purpose, high energy neutrons are produced by an intense 40 MeV deuteron accelerator directed towards a target made of a 25 mm thickness liquid Li curtain circulating at 25 m/s, depositing a nominal power of 5 MW which is...
Nuclear-grade graphite plays the role of neutron moderator, reflector and structural in High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs) and two Generation IV reactor designs including Very High Temperature Reactors (VHTRs) and Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs). They also serve as production targets in large proton beamlines at Fermilab ((LBNF), Rutherford Accelerator Laboratory (ISIS and Muon Source),...
