Revisiting Carbon Materials as Plasma-Facing Materials of a Fusion Reactor

Resumo

Carbon materials (C) are revisited to use as a plasma-facing material (PFM) of a fusion reactor. Characteristics of C concerned, such as erosion, redeposition, H retention, and neutron damages, are reinvestigated considering recent observations in laboratories and plasma machines, in particular, JET and JT-60U. It is concluded that C can be a good PFM of a fusion reactor if they are used as armor tiles mechanically fixed to heat sink allowing possible temperature escalation of tile surfaces, which mitigate T retention and neutron irradiation effect. The mechanical fixing ensures easy replacement of the carbon armor tiles by remote handling and periodic break for reactor maintenance gives opportunity for routine replacements of the armor tiles. In addition, routine T removal by isotopic exchange with D discharges and installation of replaceable cooled plates at divertor area to take up redeposited C incorporating with T would significantly reduce T inventory in a rector.