Calculational Study of the Performance of the Flexible Support Assembly of ITER Blanket in Emergency Operation

Flexible cartridge assemblies fasten the ITER reactor blanket modules to the wall of the vacuum vessel; they also absorb the neutron flux and thermal and mechanical loads and provide electrical insulation between the blanket modules and the vacuum vessel. This work substantiates the possibility of omitting grinding of the support surfaces coated with an electrical insulating layer and demonstrates the potential opening of the joint at the interface with the insulation, which can lead to chipping of the insulating coating and subsequent current flow along the support. Ohmic heating causes a strong rise in temperature and a prolonged cooldown of the support to operating temperatures. However, under the combined action of loads induced during plasma disruptions—current flowing through the blanket module and current flowing through the support when the electrical insulation is damaged—the design of the support provides the required margins of static strength.