Progress in the design of the HCPB test blanket module mock-ups for the HE-FUS3 facility

One of the ENEA contributions in the activity planned for the European Fusion Technology Programme for 1997–1998 is the design and testing of helium cooled pebble bed blanket (HCPB) mock-ups for the DEMO fusion reactor. The reference medium scale mock-up, called HEXCALIBER (HE-FUS3 experimental cassette of lithium beryllium pebble beds), will reproduce a portion of the HCPB module with the L4SiO4 ceramic breeder and the beryllium neutron multiplier, both in the form of pebble beds heated by flat heaters. The feasibility of the final design and the manufacturing solutions will be first evaluated by testing a reduced portion of the mock-up called HELICA (HE-FUS3 lithium cassette) filled with L4SiO4 breeder pebbles. Aimed at defining the thermal map of the mock-up and the related stresses, some preliminary FEM theoretical calculations were carried-out by ANSYS code. This paper presents the design of two mock-ups, the preliminary calculations, the raw material behaviours and the qualification of the manufacturing procedures. The experimental tests will be carried-out on the HE-FUS3 facility at ENEA Brasimone.