US DEMO TEST BLANKETS IN ITER

This paper summarizes the current status of the Demo blanket test syst ems and how the ITER reactor design and operations are being accommoda ted. The US blanket program is planning to develop a liquid metal bree der and a solid breeder blanket for testing and evaluation. The test b lanket modules will have prototypical components, materials, and coola nts representative of power reactor systems. The modules are to be loc ated in the ITER horizontal test ports and installed/removed with spec ial remote handling equipment. Adjacent ITER blanket neutronic and tem perature conditions suggest the use of an isolation frame surrounding the test blanket modules or submodules. This frame will also provide a dditional shielding to protect the adjacent vacuum vessel. The frame a nd blanket module are attached to the surrounding backplate to transfe r static and dynamic loads. All coolants and tritium-bearing fluids wi ll be routed out of the midplane port to special heat exchangers and t ritium separation systems. Special remote handling equipment is being designed to install and extract the test blanket modules. Dedicated tr ansporters will be used to move the blanket and shielding modules to d edicated hot cells. Special facility areas will be provided immediatel y outside the port areas for the heat exchangers, pumps, and tritium-s eparation systems.