Materials Test Stations
Instrumented irradiation positions around the plasma let test articles receive known 14 MeV fluence at controlled temperature for qualification.
Where the samples go
To turn raw flux into qualification data, Hyperion incorporates materials test stations: instrumented positions where test articles are held in the neutron field. Their placement sets the flux and spectrum each sample sees, so positions are characterized by neutronics before use.
What a station provides
- Known neutron flux and spectrum at the sample position
- Controlled and monitored temperature (damage is temperature-dependent)
- Fluence dosimetry: foils and monitors that record the actual dose received
- Access for insertion and retrieval without breaking the whole machine
- Containment for any activated or tritiated samples
Temperature control matters because radiation damage anneals and evolves differently at different temperatures; a sample must be irradiated at its intended service temperature for the data to be meaningful. Dosimetry matters because a qualification claim requires the delivered dose to be measured, not assumed.
Competing with breeding for space
Every test position occupies solid angle that could otherwise hold blanket, so test-station volume trades directly against blanket coverage and TBR. The design allocates a bounded fraction of the neutron budget to services while protecting the breeding mission. The number and capability of stations is a design and validation choice, finalized as the machine is engineered toward FOAK.
Construction begins Q2 2027; first-of-a-kind (FOAK) first tritium is targeted near 2030. No net-gain claim is made before FOAK.