AMEC (formerly NNC)

Collaboration by fusion scientists and engineers at NNC (which became part of AMEC in 2006), one of the UK's leading independent nuclear services suppliers, has led to the development of part and full-scale prototype components for the plasma facing first wall of ITER.

Since 1996, the company has been developing the technology needed to produce first wall components. Key to this development has been the use of HIP (Hot Iso-static Pressing) to bond the stainless steel, copper alloy and beryllium metals present. To advance the HIP bonding technology extensive experiments and analysis have been performed as part of the design process, before producing the prototype components.

The results of the heat flux tests show that the beryllium tiles can withstand in excess of 1.5MW.m-2 for 1000 cycles, exceeding the ITER requirement of 0.5MW.m-2 for the first wall. However, the importance of rigorous process controls is clear in order to achieve the consistent high quality of bonding required for ITER.

Following this success, AMEC is now to bond beryllium tiles to a larger full scale prototype panel produced in association with EFDA, the organisation leading European work on ITER. Apart from its use in producing components for ITER, the HIP bonding technology has proven useful in other applications. One example is the invention of a copper bonded steam generator for use in a sodium cooled fast reactor. Substantial studies and several prototype components have now been completed in support of this spin-off technology.

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