Vanadium alloys for the radiative divertor program of DIII-D
Vanadium alloys provide an attractive solution for fusion power plants as they exhibit a potential for low environmental impact due to low level of activation from neutron fluence and a relatively short half-life. They also have attractive material properties for use in a reactor. General Atomics along with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), has developed a plan to utilize vanadium alloys as part of the Radiative Divertor Project (RDP) modification for the DIII-D tokamak. The goal for using vanadium alloys is to provide a meaningful step towards developing advanced materials for fusion power applications by demonstrating the in-service behavior of a vanadium alloy (V-4Cr-4Ti) in a tokamak in conjunction with developing essential fabrication technology for the manufacture of full-scale vanadium alloy components. A phased approach towards utilizing vanadium in DIII-D is being used starting with small coupons and samples, advancing to a small component, and finally a portion of the new double-null, slotted divertor will be fabricated from vanadium alloy product forms. A major portion of the program is research and development to support fabrication and resolve key issues related to environmental effects.