Manufacturing Experience of Beam Dump for SPIDER Facility

The SPIDER facility is undergoing installation & commissioning in the Neutral Beam Test facility at RFX, Padova. SPIDER Beam Dump (SBD) is mandated to diagnose calorimetrically an ion beam of power up to 6 MW accelerated from the SPIDER Beam Source. SBD utilizes Hypervapotron based Heat Transfer Elements (HTEs) as cooling elements. HTEs are made of Cu-Cr-Zr alloy, designed for removing a steady state heat flux of 10MW/m2. 62 HTEs are arranged in two halves, mounted on a support structure ensuring the required alignment. Diagnostics provisions include independent calorimetric measurement of the coolant temperature at the exit of each of the HTEs and multiple thermocouples embedded in the edges of the HTEs. SBD is designed w. r. t ITER Structural Design Criteria for In Vessel Components (SDC-IC) and is manufactured to meet ITER codes & standards requirements and specific requirements related to vacuum components as specified by ITER Vacuum Handbook. Several challenges experienced in the manufacturing include: i) Production of CuCrZr alloy with specific mechanical properties in aged condition, ii) EB welding of dis-similar material combination like CuCrZr - Ni, Ni -SS 316L and iii) Joining CuCrZr to CuCrZr in lap joint configuration, where an acceptance basis for the allowable extent of ground pores in the lap configuration of EB weld seam has been cast. The complete execution of this activity has conformed to ITER quality requirements. The procurement has been managed by ITER-India and has completed the manufacturing, factory inspection and has been delivered as the first mechanical equipment for the SPIDER facility. This paper will present an overview of the experience gained during SPIDER Beam Dump manufacturing including the identification of technical issues and their resolution and provide important inputs to the technical management of production of similar mechanical components for ITER requirements.