Progress in IFMIF engineering validation and engineering design activities

The International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) Engineering Design and Engineering Validation Activities (EVEDA) are being developed in a joint project in the framework of the Broader Approach (BA) Agreement between EU and Japan. This project has now entered into a crucial phase as the engineering design of IFMIF is now being formulated in a series of 3 subsequent phases for delivering an Interim IFMIF Engineering Design Report (IIEDR) by mid of 2013. Content of these phases is explained, including the plant configuration detailing the 5 IFMIF facilities and their systems. Together with the Engineering Design Activities, prototyping sub-projects are pursued in the Engineering Validation Activities which consist of the design, manufacturing and testing of the following prototypical systems: Linear IFMIF Prototype Accelerator (LIPAc), EVEDA Lithium Test Loop (ELTL), and High Flux Test Module (HFTM) with the prototypical helium cooling loop (HELOKA). Highlights are described from recent experiments in the Engineering Validation Activities. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.