Advanced Heat Sink Materials for Fusion Energy Devices--Plasma Processes, Inc., 4914-D Moores Mill Road, Huntsville, AL 35811-1558; 256-851-7653
Mr. Timothy McKechnie, Principal Investigator
Mr. Timothy McKechnie, Business Official
DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-99ER82859
Amount: $750,000

Cheaper and higher efficiency heat sinks are needed for future fusion energy devices. Existing heat sink materials do not allow for higher heat flux operation without costly efficiency enhancements for heat transfer in water- and gas-cooled components. This project will fabricate advanced heat sink materials, such as CuCrNb, tungsten, molybdenum, and niobium alloys, to near net shape for high flux testing. Furthermore, heat transfer enhancements will be built into the internal cooling passages during heat sink formation. In Phase I, tungsten and molybdenum heat sinks were made for liquid-lithium-cooled components that are exposed to the plasma during the operation of a fusion system. High strength copper alloy heat sinks were made for the water-cooled components. Heat transfer enhancements (fins, flutes, etc.) were formed into the internal cooling passages. In Phase II, internal heat transfer enhancement features will be modeled, optimized and fabricated. Tungsten alloy heat sinks will be tested for liquid-metal-cooled tokamaks, and high strength copper alloy heat sinks will be developed and tested for water-cooled applications.

Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: Applications for these heat sinks include heat pipes, sputtering targets for electronic manufacture, x-ray targets for medical devices, industrial mold armor, high temperature protective coatings, rocket engines, valve surfacing, pump protection, combustors, chemical processing equipment, nose cones, power generation systems, and furnace components.