Design issues and cost implications of RTO/RC-ITER divertor

This paper reports on the conceptual divertor design developed for the reduced technical objectives/reduced cost-international thermonuclear experimental reactor (RTO/RC-ITER). The cost drivers are discussed and a number of cost-reducing measures identified. Scaled costs, based on industrial estimates of the 1998 ITER design (Technical Basis for the ITER Final Design Report, Cost Review and Safety Analysis (FDR). ITER EDA Documentation Series No. 16. IAEA, Vienna, 1998), give for the RTO/RC-ITER ≈60% of the FDR costs. Plasma facing components (PFCs) account for 75% of the total divertor costs. Hence, PFC design simplifications are outlined in the paper showing the possibility of achieving a cost reduction of 50%. The design proposals, outlined in the paper, focus on minimising the number of sub-components and simplifying the manufacturing cycle. These changes contribute to improved reliability based on a more robust coolant design layout. The reduced space allocated to the divertor (G. Janeschitz, A. Antipenkov, V. Barabash, S. Chiocchio, G. Federici, C. Ibbott, E. Martin, R. Tivey, Overview of the Divertor Design and its Integration into RTO/RC-ITER, this conference) requires changes to the design that minimise the cassette body thickness, relocate the cassette attachments and revise the remote handling philosophy. Results of supporting electro-magnetic, neutron shielding, thermo-hydraulic and pumping conductance analyses are reported, qualifying the cassette design. A reduction in the coolant inlet temperature to 100–120°C is discussed in terms of thermal-hydraulic performance and fatigue life of the heat sink. Finally, an R&D plan sets out the work needed: (1) to develop the cost saving measures of the new design; and (2) to demonstrate the reliability of the chosen technologies.