| Abstract Scope |
The stationary shoulder variant of friction stir channelling (SSFSC), trademarked as CoreFlow®, is being developed to create liquid cooling channels within high temperature materials for fusion energy applications, such as copper alloy heatsinks in the plasma-facing first wall panel.
Process parameters have been developed in both commercially-pure (CW004A) copper and copper-chromium-zirconium (CuCr1Zr) alloy CW106C, with more maturity and larger channels currently achieved for the former. Development is currently still ongoing, and latest results will be shared. This will include progress on channel cross-sectional size, consistency, and length, as well as characterisation such as microstructure, non-destructive inspection, and thermal performance. To-date large 14mm-wide rectangular channel cross-sections, with channel cross-sectional area of around 110mm2 have consistently been created in CW004A, with 10mm-wide channels with a smaller cross-sectional area of around 25mm^2 being achieved for CuCr1Zr. The latest results for process feasibility within S355 structural steel will also shared. |