Ponente
Descripción
EUROFER97 reduced activation ferritic-martensitic (RAFM) steel is the European reference structural material for breeding blanket applications in future fusion power plants. Its qualification, together with that of its welded joints, under representative fusion operating conditions is a key step towards the deployment of reliable structural components capable of withstanding high neutron fluxes, elevated temperatures and complex thermo-mechanical loading conditions.
EUROfusion’s Work Package “Materials” and Fusion for Energy (F4E) have identified the qualification of EUROFER97 and its welded joints as one of the major objectives for the 2021–2027 period. The programme aims to support the ITER-TBM programme through the integration of EUROFER97 into the RCC-MRx code while validating the mechanical behaviour and structural design methodologies required for fusion nuclear technologies. Activities currently underway include low cycle fatigue, creep, fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth testing, together with neutron irradiation campaigns covering temperatures between 275 °C and 550 °C and irradiation doses up to 2 dpa.
The experimental results obtained so far provide important input for the qualification of structural design methodologies relevant to breeding blanket systems and future fusion facilities. In particular, the programme contributes to the assessment of engineering rules addressing ratcheting, creep-fatigue interaction and irradiation-induced plastic flow instability under fusion-relevant conditions. In parallel, the ongoing activities are helping to develop irradiation strategies, testing procedures and post-irradiation examination methodologies that are directly relevant for the future operation of IFMIF-DONES.
This contribution presents an overview of the qualification activities performed during the 2021–2025 period and discusses their relevance for reducing material performance uncertainties in future fusion environments. The experimental database and engineering knowledge generated within the programme represent an important step towards the qualification of structural materials for future fusion power plants, while also providing valuable guidance for the future exploitation of IFMIF-DONES as a fusion-oriented neutron irradiation facility.