Design and Analysis of the Solid Breeder Integral Simulation Test for PE-II^a

The PE-II Solid Breeder Concept Integral Simulation Test is designed to simulate (by way of nonnuclear heating) the thermal-hydraulic/thermomechanical operating characteristics of a water-cooled, Li₂O fusion reactor blanket. The test piece consists of a central coolant tube surrounded by a cylinder of solid breeder material. This test piece, which simulates a unit cell of a blanket, is then subjected to an external heat flux and a purge flow of helium at carefully controlled conditions. Instrumentation provides information on temperature profiles, moisture levels, and purge flow conditions. Pretest thermal/stress analysis of this experiment indicates that it can provide an accurate simulation of actual conditions in a prototypical fusion reactor blanket.