Application of Kelvin Probe to Studies of Fusion Reactor Materials under Irradiation

Recently, the work function （WF） changes in metallic and ceramic materials to be potentially used in future fusion reactors have been examined by means of Kelvin probe （KP）, under He ion irradiation in high energy （MeV） and / or low energy （500 eV） ranges. The results of polycrystalline Ni samples indicate that the 1 MeV beam only induces decrease in the WF within the experimental fluence range; whereas the irradiation of 500 eV beam results in decrease in the WF firstly, then increase till saturation. A dual layer surface model is employed to explain the observed phenomena, together with computer simulation results by SRIM code. Charges buildup on the surface of lithium ceramics has been found to greatly influence the probe output, which can be explained qualitatively using a model concerning an induction electric field due to external field and free charges on the ceramic surface.

Activation characteristics of candidate structural materials for a near-term Indian fusion reactor and the impact of their impurities on design considerations

Activation analyses play a vital role in nuclear reactor design.Activation analyses,along with nuclear analyses,provide important information for nuclear safety and maintenance strategies.Activation analyses also help in the selection of materials for a nuclear reactor,by providing the radioactivity and dose rate levels after irradiation.This information is important to help define maintenance activity for different parts of the reactor,and to plan decommissioning and radioactive waste disposal strategies.The study of activation analyses of candidate structural materials for near-term fusion reactors or ITER is equally essential,due to the presence of a highenergy neutron environment which makes decisive demands on material selection.This study comprises two parts; in the first part the activation characteristics,in a fusion radiation environment,of several elements which are widely present in structural materials,are studied.It reveals that the presence of a few specific elements in a material can diminish its feasibility for use in the nuclear environment.The second part of the study concentrates on activation analyses of candidate structural materials for near-term fusion reactors and their comparison in fusion radiation conditions.The structural materials selected for this study,i.e.India-specific Reduced Activation Ferritic-Martensitic steel（IN-RAFMS）,P91-grade steel,stainless steel 316 LN ITER-grade（SS-316 LN-IG）,stainless steel 316 L and stainless steel 304,are candidates for use in ITER either in vessel components or test blanket systems.Tungsten is also included in this study because of its use for ITER plasma-facing components.The study is carried out using the reference parameters of the ITER fusion reactor.The activation characteristics of the materials are assessed considering the irradiation at an ITER equatorial port.The presence of elements like Nb,Mo,Co and Ta in a structural material enhance the activity level as well as the dose level,which has an impact on design considerations.IN-RAFMS was shown to be a more effective low-activation material than SS-316 LN-IG.

Fusion Material Studies Relating to Safety in Russia in 2002

The paper is a summary of Russian material studies performed in frames of activi-ties aiming at substantiation of safety of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor(ITER) after 2001. Subthreshold sputtering of tungsten by 5 eV deuterons was revealed at temper-atures above 1150℃. Mechanism of globular films formation was further studied. Computationsof tritium permeation into vacuum vessel coolant confirmed the acceptability of vacuum vesselcooling system for removal of the decay heat. The most dangerous accident with high-currentare in toroidal superconducting magnets able to burn out a bore up to 0.6 m in diameter in thecryostat vessel was determined. Radiochemical reprocessing of V-Cr-Ti alloy and its purificationfrom activation products down to a contact dose rate of ～ 10 μSv/h was developed.

Industrial application prospects and key issues of the pure-hydrogen reduction process

The industrial application prospect and key issues in basic theory and application are discussed by the methods of theoretical analysis and calculation to promote the development of the pure-hydrogen reduction process.According to the discussion of thermodynamics and kinetics of pure-hydrogen reduction reaction,the reduction reaction of iron oxide by pure hydrogen is an endothermic reaction,and the reaction rate of hydrogen reduction is significantly faster than that of carbon reduction.To explore the feasibility of the industrial applications of pure-hydrogen reduction,we design the hydrogen reduction reactor and process with reference to the industrialized hydrogen-rich reduction process and put forward the methods of appropriately increasing the reduction temperature,pressure,and temperature of iron ore into the furnace to accelerate the reaction rate and promote the reduction of iron oxide.The key technical parameters in engineering applications,such as hydrogen consumption,circulating gas volume,and heat balance,are discussed by theoretical calculations,and the optimized parameter values are proposed.The process parameters,cost,advantages,and disadvantages of various current hydrogen production methods are compared,and the results show that hydrogen production by natural gas reforming has a good development prospect.Through the discussion of the corrosion mechanism of high-temperature and high-pressure hydrogen on heat-resistant steel materials and the corrosion mechanism of H_2S in the hydrogen gas on steel,the technical ideas of developing new metal temperature-resistant materials,metal coating materials,and controlling gas composition are put forward to provide guidance for the selection of heater and reactor materials.Finally,the key factors affecting the smooth operation of the hydrogen reduction process in engineering applications are analyzed,offering a reference for the industrial application of the purehydrogen reduction process.