Materials Tests and Analyses of Faraday Shield Tubes for ICRF Antennas

The ion cyclotron resonant frequency (ICRF) antennas for heating fusion plasmas require careful analysis of the materials selected for the design and the successful fabrication of high integrity braze bonds. Graphite tiles are brazed to Inconel 625 Faraday shield tubes to protect the antenna from the plasma. The bond between the graphite and Inconel tube is difficult to achieve due to the different coefficients of thermal expansion. A 2-D stress analysis showed the graphite could be bonded to Inconel with a Ag-Cu-Ti braze alloy without cracking the graphite. Brazing procedures and nondestructive examination methods have been developed for these joints. This paper presents the results of our joining development and proof testing.