Structure and insulator material choices for the TITAN reversed-field-pinch reactor study

The structural material choice can significantly effect operating conditions, component lifetime, safety, and waste management issues of a fusion power reactor. A vanadium-base alloy (V-3Ti-1Si) was selected as structural material for the TITAN liquid lithium cooled reactor design. The choice was mainly based on the alloy's resistance to radiation damage and helium embrittlement. The behaviour of insulating materials can also have a significant effect on the overall reactor design, configuration and component lifetime. MgAl2O4 was taken as the choice insulating material based on its response to neutron irradiation. Lack of data in many areas such as creep-rupture and irradiation hardening, for structural materials; swelling and radiation induced conductivity for insulating materials prompted the authors to develop phenomenological design equations in order to estimate long term material behaviour