JOINT RESEARCH DOCTORATE AND EUROPEAN DOCTORAL NETWORK ON FUSION SCIENCE AND
ENGINEERING
Thesis proposal for the 2015-2017 Ph.D. cycle
1) Program where the main part of activity will be realized
‘NBI Project’ + ‘Diagnostics’
2) Thesis title:
Study and mitigation of radiation induced issues in diagnostic systems for fusion devices
3) Thesis supervisor
Simone Peruzzo
4) Group/s that will be involved in the program
RFX Plasma Engineering Group (IP)
5) Thesis abstract (max 600 characters)
Some ITER components currently being developed at Consorzio RFX, such as the MITICA neutral
beam injector and the ITER magnetic diagnostics, face significant nuclear radiation issues, which
have to be considered for a proper design and operation.
The proposed research activity consists in: analysing the NBI radiation environment, with the
support of numerical simulations, studying the impact on components under development and
proposing solutions that might avoid or mitigate the radiation impact. Studying the radiation
induced effects on magnetic sensors by means of numerical simulations and irradiation tests on
prototypes and implementing design modifications to mitigate such effects.
6) External collaborations (existing or to be started), which might involve the Ph.D. student (if any)
The framework of the activity could be extended to:
ENEA UTFUS, Frascati, Italy
University of Milano–Bicocca + CNR IFP, Milano Italy
SCK·CEN, Institute of Advanced Nuclear Systems, Mol, Belgium
7) Preliminary list of milestones for each of the three years
YEAR 1
 Study of nuclear radiation issues for diagnostic components developed within Consorzio RFX
programmes.
 Establishment of collaboration with Italian and/or European laboratories.
 Training in the use of a suitable numerical simulation code for nuclear analysis (MCNP or FLUKA).
 Analysis of results from preliminary irradiation tests on magnetic sensor prototypes.
YEAR 2
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Modelling of radiation environments for MITICA and ITER diagnostic systems.
Design, execution and analysis of radiation tests on magnetic sensors, supported by modelling.
Contribution to the Safety tasks with regard to PRIMA radiation environment.
Definition of a strategy for radiation issues mitigation in MITICA.
YEAR 3
 Assessment of ITER magnetic sensors compatibility with radiation and contribution to final design.
 Definition, based on modelling, of mitigation solutions for MITICA components.
8) Description of the research project (max 8000 characters)
One of the issues to be faced in the ITER project is the presence of ionizing radiation, which may affect
the reliability or even damage the integrity of the plasma diagnostics components, especially
electronics, placed close to the vacuum vessel. Moreover the MITICA experiment in the neutral beam
test facility will be affected by a significant neutron flux from the Deuterium-Deuterium (D-D)
reactions between the deuterons implanted on the beam dump and the impinging deuterons. This
latter issue was preliminarily evaluated in previous feasibility studies within a collaboration between
Consorzio RFX, the RREACT group at Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Informazione, University of
Padova, and the Radiation Protection Institute, ENEA Frascati.
The radiation issue is then common to at least two important programs currently conducted at
Consorzio RFX, but it may interest also the RFX experiment for deuterium operation. Given the lack of
specific competences in this field inside Consorzio RFX, so far the problem has been faced hiring
external experts or looking for sporadic collaborations with more specialized laboratories. The
expected scenario in the next three years will see an intensified collaboration with research teams
with recognized know-how in the field of simulation and assessment of radiation effects on materials.
The programme will foresee a training period for the learning of the use of a suitable Monte Carlo
simulation code (MCNP or FLUKA, widely used in the ITER and accelerator physics communities. This
training could be done either in collaboration with colleagues within partner teams or by attending
specific courses.
The research activity will then be focused on the study of the radiation induced effects on several
components of MITICA and ITER diagnostics by means of numerical simulations and analysis of
irradiation test results to be conducted on prototypes, presently foreseen in a specific Grant
Agreement between Fusion for Energy and Consorzio RFX.
The final goal of this research activity is to provide and implement technical solutions aimed at
mitigating such radiation effects in the design of components which are expected to be completed in
the time frame of the doctorate.