High heat flux components with Be armour before and after neutron irradiation

Beryllium/copper mock-ups produced by different joining techniques have been tested in the electron beam facility JUDITH (J̱ülich Divertor Ṯest Facility in H̱ot Cells) at Forschungszentrum Jülich. The experiments described in this paper represent the conclusive part of a test program started in 1994. The properties of non-irradiated Be/Cu joints have been characterised in a previous test campaign. Post-irradiation tests are now being carried out to investigate the neutron damage on the joints. The neutron irradiation on selected mock-ups has been carried out in the High Flux Reactor (HFR) at Petten (The Netherlands). Parametric finite element thermal analyses have been carried out to establish the allowable heat flux value to be applied during the tests. Screening tests up to power densities of ∼7 MW/m2 and thermal fatigue tests up to 1000 cycles have been performed. None of these mock-ups showed any indication of failure. Post-mortem analyses (metallography, SEM) have also been conducted.