Overview of the Validation Activities of IFMIF/EVEDA: LIPAc, the Linear IFMIF Prototype Accelerator and Lifus 6, the Lithium Corrosion Induced Facility

Abstract

The results of the activities on the Engineering Validation and Engineering Design Activities for the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF/EVEDA) project under the framework of the Broader Approach agreement are overviewed. For the validation of the accelerator design to provide 40 MeV and 125 mA continuous wave deuteron beam on the liquid lithium target, the demonstration of the low energy section up to 9 MeV, called as Linear IFMIF Prototype Accelerator (LIPAc), is under the stepwise commissioning in Rokkasho. The first step to demonstrate the 100 keV deuteron and 50 keV proton beams from the LIPAc injector was completed by satisfying the target value of beam emittance, 0.25π mm mrad or less, at the beam current of 140 mA and 70 mA for deuteron and proton, respectively. The second goal for verifying the design of 175 MHz Radio-Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) linear accelerator with the RF power system to accelerate deuteron to 5 MeV and the associated beam transport line to the beam from RFQ into the superconducting RF linear accelerator, has been started and a 2.5 MeV and 35 mA proton beam was obtained with the beam transmission, 90% or more. As for the validation of lithium target system, Lifus 6 plant was built in Brasimone to validate the design goal of erosioncorrosion rate for target material caused by 15 m/s lithium flow, and has been operated for one year with the continuous impurity monitoring and control, nitrogen < 30 wppm. The requirement of 1 um/y or less was confirmed with a long-term test up to 4,000 h.