Blanket/Materials Testing Strategy for FNSF and Its Breeding Potential

In the U.S., the Fusion Nuclear Science Facility (FNSF) is viewed as an essential element of the fusion developmental roadmap. The tritium self-sufficiency, blanket testing, and materials testing are of particular interest since they define a critical element of the FNSF mission. There is a definitive need to breed the majority of, if not all, the tritium required for operation. A staged blanket testing strategy has been developed to test and enhance the blanket performance during each phase of operation. A materials testing module is critically important to include in FNSF to test large specimens of future generations of materials (for blanket, divertor, magnets, etc.) in relevant fusion environment. In this strategy, the test modules play a pivotal role and serve as “forerunners” for more advanced versions of blanket and materials that will validate their characteristics and features to assure the successful operation of DEMO and advanced power plants.