The Remote handling maintenance process of IFMIF target assembly

Micciche, G.*; Frascati, F.*; Lorenzelli, L.*; Wakai, Eiichi  ; Nakaniwa, Koichi

The IFMIF is the most promising machine designed for testing candidate structural materials for fusion nuclear power reactors up to a damage rate of 100 dpa in five years. Materials are tested by using a high-energy neutron flux produced by a stripping reaction of two D beams impinging on a free surface liquid lithium jet flowing in a concave backplate on the TA. The TA is the most heavily exposed component to the neutron flux, since it is located in the most severe region of neutron irradiation (50 dpa/fpy), and then it has been designed to be exchanged remotely. Two design options of the target system were developed in Japan and Europe. In the presentation the remote handling maintenance activities performed, with both TA concepts, are discussed together with the outcomes of the preliminary tests carried out and with the design solutions adopted to optimize the entire refurbishment process of this component.