82
*STTR
Project: Engineered
Tungsten Armor for
Mr.
John Scott O'Dell, Principal Investigator,
Mr.
Timothy N. McKechnie, Business Official,
DOE
Grant No. DE-FG02-03ER86166
Amount:
$750,000
Research Institution
University
of
The
armor lifetime for laser inertial fusion energy dry chamber walls is a major
concern. Candidate armor materials
must provide high temperature resistance and accommodate the operating
conditions with minimal erosion. In
addition, the implantation of He ions in the armor, which could lead to
premature failure, must be addressed. The
High-Average-Power Laser community recently identified tungsten (W) as a leading armor candidate.
This project will develop
engineered tungsten armor that addresses these concerns by providing a short
transport path for
the release of implanted He back to the armor surface, thus preventing premature
armor failure. The armor is also
being designed to accommodate cyclic energy deposition and remain attached to a
low-activation-ferritic steel structural wall.
Phase I demonstrated the feasibility of producing engineered tungsten
armor. Using submicron tungsten
feedstock and vacuum plasma spray forming techniques, nanoporous W deposits were
produced. Preliminary testing showed
that the pores were interconnected and permeable to He, and that the deposits
remained attached to the steel substrates after thermal cycle testing.
In Phase II, the engineered W armor
fabrication techniques will be optimized to produce uniform pore distribution
and optimum microstructural dimensions for He release.
The mechanical and physical properties of the engineered W armor will be
determined, and the dense tungsten layer beneath the nanoporous layer also will
be developed. Finally, a medium
scale component will be produced to demonstrate the scalability of the
fabrication techniques.
Commercial
Applications and Other Benefits as
described by awardee: Potential
commercial applications include ballistic and tactical missiles, gun barrel
liners, arc-jet thrusters, heat exchangers, welding electrodes, plasma facing
components for nuclear reactors, integral oxidation protection for burners, gas
turbines, automobile engines, incinerators, thermal control coatings, oxidation
protective coatings, coatings for composites parts and structures, thermal
barrier coatings, structural jackets on tubular combustors and nozzles, storage
vessels, x-ray target, sputtering target and hard coatings.