Tue, 18 July, 2023
A poster detailing findings from the CoreFlow® project was on display at the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s 30th IEEE Symposium on Fusion Engineering (SOFE).
CoreFlow® is a new and highly disruptive sub-surface machining technique that has evolved from friction stir welding and friction stir channelling. As a solid-state process, it allows for the integration of sub-surface networks of channels to be integrated into two or three-dimensional monolithic parts in a single manufacturing step. These channels can then be used for heat exchange or other applications.
TWI friction welding project leader, Sam Holdsworth presented the poster at the conference, which took place from 9-13 July 2023 at the Examination School, Oxford. This was only the second time that SOFE had taken place outside the United States and the first time it had been held in Europe.
SOFE is a biennial conference that focuses on fusion excellence and was hosted by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) to bring the global fusion community together.
The UKAEA is a UK national research organisation responsible for the development of fusion energy, with current programmes of work including the MAST-Upgrade (Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak) fusion experiment and the JET (Joint European Torus) fusion research facility, which is operated for scientists from around Europe in Culham, Oxford. UKAEA are also working on the STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) programme to accelerate the delivery of fusion energy, with plans to deliver a prototype powerplant producing net electricity in the 2040s in Nottinghamshire.
The UKAEA also undertakes cutting edge work with academia, other research organisations and the industrial supply chain across a broad spectrum of areas, including robotics and materials.
The CoreFlow® poster, ‘Latest Developments on Manufacturing Cooling Channels in Copper using CoreFlow,’ was displayed as part of the conference’s, ‘I. Plant Efficiency, Power Management and Control’ theme.
The poster is due to be made available at the events online poster gallery from 31 July, but you can also see it below:
SOFE 2023 CoreFlow Poster - pdf - 1mb
You can find out more about CoreFlow® here.