RADIATION RESISTANT RADIO FREQUENCY FEEDTHROUGH INSULATORS FOR FUSION APPLICATIONS

THE MATERIALS CURRENTLY USED FOR RADIO FREQUENCY (RF) FEEDTHROUGH INSULATORS ARE INADEQUATE FOR FUTURE FUSION DEVICES SUCH AS THE INTERNATIONAL THERMONUCLEAR EXPERIMENTAL REACTOR (ITER). THESE MONOLITHIC CERAMICS WILL LOSE THEIR DIELECTRIC STRENGTH, AND SWELL IN THE NEUTRON FLUENCES EXPECTED IN ITER. THIS MAKES THEM EXTREMELY SUSCEPTIBLE TO BRITTLE FRACTURE, WHICH CAN LEAD TO CATASTROPHIC FAILURE IN THE INSULATION. A CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITE (CMC) MATERIAL COULD PROVIDE THE IMPROVEMENT IN FRACTURE RESISTANCE AS RADIATION IS ADDED TO THE OPERATION MODE. IN PHASE I CANDIDATE CMC MATERIALS WILL BE DEVELOPED ON THE BASIS OF PERFORMANCE TO MEET THE STRINGENT ELECTRICAL, THERMAL, MECHANICAL, AND RADIATION RESISTANT REQUIREMENTS. EMPHASIS WILL BE GIVEN TO PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES THAT CAN FABRICATE PARTS AT NEAR NET SHAPES. SCREENING TESTS WILL BE PERFORMED FOR ELECTRICAL, MECHANICAL, AND THERMAL PROPERTIES FOR PRELIMINARY DESIGN EVALUATION AND SELECTION FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT. TEST PLANS FOR DEVELOPING MATERIAL PROPERTIES AND DEMONSTRATING PROTOTYPE COMPONENT PERFORMANCE OF THESE MATERIALS BEFORE, AFTER, AND DURING IRRADIATION WILL BE PREPARED FOR PHASE II.