Utilization of vanadium alloys in the DIII-D radiative divertor program

Vanadium alloys are attractive candidate structural materials for fusion power plants because of their potential for minimum environmental impact due to low neutron activation and rapid activation decay. They also possess favorable material properties for operation in a fusion environment. General Atomics in conjunction with Argonne National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed a plan for the utilization of vanadium alloys as part of the radiative divertor upgrade for the DIII-D tokamak. The plan will be carried out in conjunction with General Atomics and the Materials Program of the US Department of Energy. This application of a vanadium alloy will provide a meaningful step in the development of advanced materials for fusion power devices by: (1) developing necessary materials processing technology for the fabrication of large vanadium alloy components and (2) demonstrating the in-service behavior of a vanadium alloy (V-4Cr-4Ti) in a tokamak environment. The program consists of three phases: first, small vanadium alloy coupon samples will be exposed in DIII-D at positions in the vessel floor and within the pumping plenum region of the existing divertor structure; second, a small vanadium alloy component will be installed in the existing divertor, and third, during the forthcoming radiative divertor modification, scheduled for completion in mid-1997, the upper section of the new double-null, slotted divertor will be fabricated from vanadium alloy product forms. This program also includes research and development efforts to support fabrication development and to resolve key issues related to environmental effects.