Speaker
Description
GenF, a spin-off of the Thales Group, is developing an accelerated pathway toward a direct-drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) reactor. As part of the TARANIS project, GenF collaborates with French research institutions including CEA and CNRS to address the critical physics problems in ICF physics.
One of the most demanding challenges is the design of the ICF reaction chamber, particularly the first wall (FW) components. The FW material is subjected to intense, pulsed emissions of X-rays, ions, and neutrons resulting from fusion reactions. Following ignition, the energy is distributed among burned and unburned ions from the fuel target— helium (He), deuterium (D), tritium (T), and elements from the target's outer layers such as hydrogen (H) and carbon (C).
This study presents simulations of physical sputtering, bulk damage, and compositional changes in various candidate FW materials induced by energetic ions, taking into account their energy distribution and spectra based on a typical target design proposed by CEA for the TARANIS project. Sputtering, composition change and damage production in the FW is evaluated for tungsten (W) and stainless steel (SS) using SDTrimSP code allowing for the first predictions of the lifetime of the FW.
Coupled numerical simulations using the FESTIM code [2] enabled evaluation of T accumulation and diffusion in W under ICF-relevant thermal conditions, considering the relevant material damage. This work forms part of GenF’s broader initiative to numerically model the FW materials performance under extreme pulsed thermal and particle loads, ensuring sustained performance of the reaction chamber throughout the reactor’s operational life.
References
[1] A.Mutzke et al., SDTrimSP Version 7.00, IPP Report 2024-06
[2] R. Delaporte-Mathurin et al., FESTIM: An open-source code for hydrogen transport simulations, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 63 (2024)