Experimental loop for tests of helium cooled high heat flux components at 600 deg C/10 MPa helium inlet

Helium loop is a tool for tests of divertor design options which meet the requirements for He -cooled fusion DEMO reactor. These tests include: divertor materials and joining technology selection, cooling regimes optimization, mockups thermal cycling for lifetime estimation. It is also possible to use loop in other areas of high temperature helium nuclear technology (blanket/ first wall mock-ups tests, fission helium reactors relevant experiments). Also as results of systematic mock-ups tests it is planned to create data base for validation of gas dynamic and thermal mechanic codes, used for simulation of processes in high heat flux components. Helium loop is able to test mock-ups at nominal helium inlet temperature 600 deg C and pressure 10 MPa. Possible pressure losses in mock-up are up to 0.5 MPa. First stage of such helium loop creation using tank-to-tank principle has finished at Efremov Institute in collaboration with FZK. At this stage stationery flow rate 24 g/s, which is provided by oil-free membrane compressor, was achieved. One more possible loop regime - gas pulses at 50 g/s and duration up to 120 s. Diagnostic system provides measuring more then 40 parameters such as pressure, flow rate and temperature. Mock-up heat loading is provided by e-beam of TSEFEY facility with applied power up to 60 kW at 27 keV beam energy. Results of finger like mock-ups of DEMO helium cooled divertor vertical target testing are presented. At next stage helium loop will be able to reach flow rate of 600 g/s (using helium circulating pump) that will provide heat removal from mock-ups up to 120 kW. The design solutions and R-and-D results of activity at this stage of loop creation are also presented. (author)