Fabrication of a first wall panel by diffusion bonding

Separated First Wall Panels mechanically attached to a shield block is now the reference concept for the Primary Wall Modules of RTO/RC ITER. The objective of the present work is to demonstrate the practical feasibility of a First Wall Panel utilizing a duplex round (steel) in square (copper) heat sink wound around a steel core and covered by Beryllium armour tiles. These three different materials (Be, Cu, steel) are joined together by diffusion bonding. The Copper alloy/stainless steel and Copper alloy/Beryllium joints were studied and developed selecting the optimal parameters for the related diffusion process. Several specimens were manufactured to be mechanically and thermally tested. The joints were mechanically tested using dedicated press equipment and investigated by micro-structural analysis with optical and SEM microscopy. Some thermal tests were finally carried out using an Electron Beam Facility. A dedicated R&D programme has led to the development of a co-drawing process, suitable for manufacturing the duplex Copper alloy-stainless steel heat sink. Two mock-ups were manufactured, the first in reduced-scale to test the thermal performance of the system, the second of larger scale and geometry better to represent the First Wall Panel.