| Project Detail |
Robust, affordable, and durable plasma-facing components (PFCs) are key to commercial fusion energy. PFCs must maintain the capability to handle the extreme heat, high-density plasma, high-energy neutrons, and fuel cycling in safe and economical operation. So far, a solution does not exist. Solid PFCs with a tungsten (W) armor, helium (He) cooling, and reduced-activation steel structure may satisfy the demanding requirements. This ORNL-led team will use laser powder-bed-fusion and electron-beam melting to create high-quality, W alloys (crack-free, high-density with acceptable properties) as the armor and reduced-activation, ferritic/martensitic steels as the base structure, with compositionally graded interlayers. They will use computational alloy design to integrate the materials with additive manufacturing. A high-quality integrated structure will promote cost-effective PFC designs for a range of fusion-energy concepts, with unprecedented flexibility for performance and reliability.
Potential Impact:
Successful development of fusion energy science and technology could lead to a safe, carbon-free, abundant energy source for developed and emerging economies. |
