The Research Plan for the ITER TBM Program

In ITER, two equatorial ports are allocated for the TBM (Test Blanket Module) Program in order to allow the operation and testing of four Test Blanket Systems (TBS) that are relevant mock-ups of tritium breeding blankets systems for fusion power reactors. The ITER baseline 2024 foresees two phases, DT-1 and DT-2. During DT-1, the plan is to operate the water-cooled lithium-lead TBS procured by EU, the helium-cooled ceramic pebble TBS procured jointly by Korea and EU, the water-cooled ceramic breeder TBS procured by Japan, and the helium-cooled ceramic breeder TBS procured by China. Other types of TBSs could be operated in DT-2.For each of the four TBSs, it is expected to achieve the main top-level testing objectives during DT-1. Besides the definition of the top-level testing objectives, this paper describes the assessment performed by an ad-hoc working group (TBM-RP/WG) formed by TBM Program experts on the feasibility of such achievement. The assessment included the definition of the various parameters that need to be measured, the identification of the required instrumentation/sensors to perform the measurements, the potential TBS design modifications aiming to integrate the sensors and to comply with the ITER operational scenarios, and finally, the specific modeling activities required for performing the results interpretation and associated extrapolation to Power Reactor breeding blankets.