Fabrication route of the ANSALDO-ENEA ITER inner vertical target divertor full scale prototype

Fabrication and qualification of a representative full-scale prototype of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) divertor inner vertical target is the subject of the contract assigned to Ansaldo Nucleare S.p.A (ANN) by Fusion for Energy, the EU-Domestic Agency. ENEA, as major partner of this contract activities, was in charge of the plasma facing units (PFU) fabrication by means of Hot Radial Pressing. In parallel the other main fabrication steps were completed by ANN and its industrial partners based on the F4E technical requirements. Finally, the feasibility of the prototype assembly by integrating the PFUs onto the steel support structure has been demonstrated and the technical capability to reach the tight geometrical tolerances required for the plasma surface was checked. High heat flux thermal fatigue testing on the 8 full-W PFUs installed on the testing frame will take place at the ITER Divertor Test Facility at Efremov Institute in Saint-Petersburg to finally demonstrating the PFUs thermal removal capability. The reliability level reached by the HRP joining process and the industrial consolidation of the fabrication route, paves the way with confidence to a forthcoming series production of the ITER full-W divertor. The paper reports the full scale prototype main production achievements.