Development of advanced blanket performance under irradiation and system integration through JUPITER-II project

The Japan–USA collaborative program, JUPITER-II, has made significant progress in a research program titled “The irradiation performance and system integration of advanced blanket” through a six-year plan for 2001–2006. The scientific concept of this program is to study the elemental technology in macroscopic system integration for advanced fusion blankets based on an understanding of the relevant mechanics at the microscopic level. The program has four main research emphases:(1)Flibe molten salt system: Flibe handling, reduction–oxidation control by Be and Flibe tritium chemistry; thermofluid flow simulation experiment and numerical analysis.(2)Vanadium /Li system: MHD ceramics coating of vanadium alloys and compatibility with Li; neutron irradiation experiment in Li capsule and radiation creep.(3)SiC/He system: Fabrication of advanced composites and property evaluation; thermomechanics of SiC system with solid breeding materials; neutron irradiation experiment in He capsule at high temperatures.(4)Blanket system modeling: Design-based integration modeling of Flibe system and V/Li system; multiscale materials system modeling including He effects.This paper describes the perspective of the program including the historical background, the organization and facilities, and the task objectives. Important recent results are reviewed.