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Fig. 8-4 Section view of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF)

In nuclear fusion reactors, which are expected to be a clean energy source in the 21st century, neutrons of 14 MeV and helium of 3.5 MeV will be produced by the fusion reaction of deuterium (D) and tritium (T). The energy of these particles will be converted to heat, then finally into electricity. Mankind, however, has not yet had to manage the high fluxes of neutrons associated with such high energies. If conventional materials are used to make fusion reactors, serious degradation and strong activation will occur under such severe neutron irradiation. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new materials and test them in approximately the same irradiation environments as will be found in future fusion reactors. To cope with this problem, a conceptual design activity for the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) has been carried out by an international collaboration under an agreement of the International Energy Agency (IEA). The primary requirement of the IFMIF is to examine materials performance up to the end-of-life for current fusion reactor designs. The IFMIF's completed conceptual design proposes to generate high fluxes of neutrons in the energy range near 14 MeV by bombarding a liquid lithium target with D ions accelerated up to 40 MeV with a set of two powerful accelerators. The conceptual design permits construction to begin within a few years while taking advantage of further technical developments. Efforts are being made to proceed toward the earliest possible construction of the IFMIF.

Reference IFMIF-CDA Team, IFMIF-International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility Conceptual Design Activity, Final Report (1997).

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