Manufacturing and testing of a HETS module for DEMO divertor

Highlights: ► The HETS (high-efficiency thermal shield) concept, initially developed by ENEA for water, has been adapted for use with He as coolant. ► This DEMO divertor concept is based on elements joined in series and protected by a hemispheric dome. ► It has been calculated to be capable of sustaining an incident heat flux of 10 MW/m2 when operating at 10 MPa, an inlet He temperature of 600 °C, and an outlet temperature of 800 °C. ► The activity is focused on the manufacturing of a single HETS module with W armor and on its thermal–hydraulic testing. ► A CFD analysis by ANSYS-CFX was performed in order to predict the thermal–mechanical behavior of the module and a final comparison with the experimental data is required to validate the CFD results. - Abstract: The development of a divertor concept for fusion power plants that is able to grant efficient recovery and conversion of the considerable fraction (∼15%) of the total fusion thermal power incident is deemed to be an urgent task to meet in the EU Fast Track scenario. The He-cooled conceptual divertor design is one of the possible candidates. Helium cooling offers several advantages including chemical and neutronic inertness and the ability to operate at higher temperatures and lower pressures than those required for water cooling. The HETS (high-efficiency thermal shield) concept, initially developed by ENEA for water, has been adapted for use with He as coolant. This DEMO divertor concept is based on elements joined in series and protected by a hemispheric dome; it allows an increase of thermal exchange coefficient both for high speed of gas and for "jet impingement" effects of gas coming out from the internal side of hemispheric dome. It has been calculated to be capable of sustaining an incident heat flux of 10 MW/m2 when operating at 10 MPa, an inlet He temperature of 600 °C, and an outlet temperature of 800 °C. The presented activity, performed in the frame of EFDA-TW5TRP-001 task, was focused on the manufacturing of a single HETS module and on its thermal–hydraulic testing. The materials used for the HETS module manufacturing were all DEMO-compatible: W for the armor material and the hemispherical-dome, DENSIMET for the exchanger body. The testing is performed by connecting the module to HEFUS3 He loop system that is a facility able to supply the He flow to the required testing conditions: 400 °C, 4–8 MPa and 20–40 g/s. The needed incident heat flux is obtained by RF inducting equipment coupled to an inductor coil installed just over the HETS module. A CFD analysis by ANSYS-CFX was performed in order to predict the thermal–mechanical behavior of the module and a final comparison with the experimental data is required to validate the CFD results. All parameters are monitored and recorded by data acquisition system.