Experimental Program at the LOTUS Facility

ABSTRACT

LOTUS is the name of a test facility dedicated to neutronics integral experiments in blanket assemblies representative of future fusion reactor blankets. It is situated at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. The main features of the facility and of its 14-Mev high intensity neutron generator are presented, as well as an overview of the experimental program being carried out at LOTUS. Two different types of blanket modules are being tested at the moment: a flexible assembly of different blanket zones, designed at Lausanne, and the Lithium Blanket Module developed at Princeton. Outcome of the first experiments performed with this last module are given, together with results of a preliminary 2-D numerical analysis.