The campaign of high heat flux tests of foreign equipment for the ITER reactor has been completed at the Rosatom enterprise (in JSC NIIEFA)

By India Education Diary Bureau Admin Last updated Jul 10, 2023

Moscow –The D.V.Efremov Institute of Electrophysical Apparatus (JSC NIIEFA, a Rosatom enterprise) has successfully completed a cycle of high heat flux tests of foreign equipment for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).

Since April 2023, specialists from JSC NIIEFA have been conducting a series of high heat flux tests of plasma facing units (PFUs) of full-scale prototype of outer vertical target of ITER divertor. These tests were carried out on the unique Russian IDTF (ITER Divertor Test Facility) stand, in accordance with the commitments of the Russian Federation within the ITER project.

The Japanese test assembly, consisting of eight prototype divertor PFUs, successfully withstood by 6000 test cycles with heat loads ranging from 5 to 20 MW per square meter. The test results confirmed the compliance of the Japanese PFUs with the highest requirements of the ITER Organization.

According to Anatoly Krasilnikov, Director of the private institution ” Project Center ITER ” (part of Rosatom State Corporation), “these tests confirm not only the ongoing active international cooperation within the ITER project but also the high level of Russian scientific centers and qualifications of domestic specialists.” He also added, “The competence of Russian physicists and engineers in the field of thermonuclear research is recognized worldwide, which is why testing of not only Russian but also foreign in-vessel reactor elements is carried out in our country.”

Previously, a series of similar high heat flux tests were conducted on both Russian and foreign equipment at the IDTF facility. In particular, all plasma facing units of the Russian full-scale prototype of Dome divertor (manufactured by JSC NIIEFA), which has already been delivered to the ITER Organization, were tested at the St. Petersburg test stand. Last year, eight plasma facing units for serial Domes were successfully tested.