Simulation of Fusion First-Wall Environment in a Fission Reactor

A novel concept to produce a realistic simulation of a fusion first-wall test environment has been proposed recently. This concept takes advantage of the (n, α) reaction in ⁵⁹Ni to produce a high internal helium content in the metal while using the ³He (n, ρ)T reaction in the gas surrounding the specimen to produce an external heat and particle flux. Models to calculate heat flux, erosion rate, implantation, and damage rate to the walls of the test module are presented. Preliminary results show that a number of important fusion technology issues could be tested experimentally in a fission reactor such as the Engineering Test Reactor.