Speaker
Description
The IFMIF-DONES Facility will be a first-class scientific infrastructure situated in Granada, Spain. It will comprise an accelerator-driven neutron source capable of delivering ~1e17 n/s with a broad peak at 14 MeV. The neutron source will be generated by impinging a continuous wave 125 mA, 40 MeV deuteron beam into a liquid Li jet target, circulating at 15 m/s and evacuating the 5 MW power of the beam. The primary scientific objective of IFMIF-DONES is the irradiation of specimens in a fusion-like neutron environment, essential for the material qualification of future fusion reactors like DEMO. Positioned a few millimeters downstream from the target, the material specimens will undergo irradiation under controlled temperatures ranging from 250 to 550 °C, with continuous monitoring of the radiation field (although other irradiation modules which could reach temperatures up to 1000 °C are also foreseen). The anticipated damage rate is within 20 dpa in 2.5 full power years for an irradiation volume of 300 cm³, and up to 50 dpa in 3 years for an irradiation volume of 100 cm³. Beyond its core mission of fusion materials qualifications, IFMIF-DONES will provide facilities for a diverse set of other experiments, making it a multidisciplinary neutron facility. These experiments span a wide spectrum of research fields, including, among others, medium flux fusion-related experiments (such as tritium breeders or fusion components validation), as well as many others non-fusion related, such as fast-neutron imaging, neutron time-of-flight, radioisotope production, or fundamental neutron physics research. This contribution will provide an overview of the project, highlighting its main requirements and technological challenges concerning the high-power target and irradiation modules operation and monitoring. Furthermore, it will provide a glimpse into the potential future nuclear research opportunities that extend beyond the fusion energy field.
