Design of the HCPB test blanket module mock-ups for the HE-FUS3 facility

Within the European Fusion Technology Programme, for the period 1997-1998. significant R and D activities related to the DEMO Reactor Helium Cooled Pebble Bed Blanket (HCPB) concept are being carried-out. The conceptual design and layout of the Test Blanket Module (TBM) to be tested in the ITER, the fabrication of the related test sections and the Out-of-Pile testing activities are performed in the Work Package WP B2.1 and WP B3.2. The reference facility for testing the TBM medium scale mock-ups is the HE-FUS3 facility at ENEA Brasimone. These experiments will have the main objectives to investigate the thermal and mechanical behaviour of the TBM module under steady state, cyclic power and accidental conditions. The paper presents the TBM mock-up design assumptions, the preliminary calculations, the envisaged manufacturing procedures and a draft programme for the fabrication and testing of the mock-ups. (authors)