Publications Details
Ion beam testing of the Aerolor X-point dump plate for the Joint European Torus
The durability of a carbon-carbon composite, Aerolor A05, X-point divertor dump plate to thermal fatigue was evaluated for the Joint European Torus (JET) at Sandia's Plasma Material Test Facility. Of primary interest was the effect of thermal cycling on the carbon-carbon threads of the bolted attachment scheme for the Aerolor X-point divertor. This report describes the testing performed at the Ion Beam Test System and the test and analysis results obtained in support of this effort. After completing 1000 thermal cycles, where the surface temperature of the 8 cm by 8 cm by 2.3 cm Aerolor tile reached 2200{degree}C during a 10 s, 500 W/cm{sup 2} pulse, the tile survived without any noticeable damage. Post test inspection of the carbon-carbon threads showed only minor wear and no signs of significant damage. Thermal modeling of the test article using the ABAQUS finite element code agreed very well with experimental results. The thermal creep experienced by the M-12 stainless steel bolt during ion beam testing will not be expected to occur during normal operations in JET because of the longer cycle times between the thermal events. Finite element analysis indicates that the longer cycle times at the JET will reduce the peak temperatures in the vicinity of the bolt and bolt insert below the level at which thermal creep would occur. An additional margin of safety could be obtained by using Inconel or Nimonic fasteners. Overall, the performance of the bolted divertor design to thermal fatigue was acceptable. 12 figs., 2 tabs.