Issues and strategies for DEMO in-vessel component integration

In the frame of the EUROfusion Consortium activities were launched in 2014 to develop a concept of a DEMO reactor including a large R&D program and the integrated design of the tokamak systems. The integration of the in-vessel components (IVCs) must accommodate numerous constraints imposed by their operating environment, the requirements for precise alignment, high performance, reliability, and remote maintainability. This makes the development of any feasible design a major challenge. Although DEMO is defined to be a one-of-a-kind device there needs to be in addition to the development of the IVC design solutions a remarkable emphasis on the optimization of these solutions already at the conceptual level. Their design has a significant impact on the machine layout, complexity, and performance. This paper identifies design and technology limitations of IVCs, their consequences on the integration principles, and introduces strategies currently considered in the DEMO tokamak design approach.