Progress in design and experimental activities for the development of an advanced breeding blanket

There is no doubt about the interest of achieving as fast as possible the capability to build and operate high performance reactors that finally allow fusion competing in the electricity market. An advanced breeding blanket based on the Dual Coolant Lithium Lead concept with single module segment architecture, designed for the European DEMO, is certainly aligned with such objective. This work describes some recent outcomes of the efforts carried out in the framework of the Prospective R&D Work Package in EUROfusion to develop this line. The evolution of the design has been guided by strategies aimed to achieve an equilibrium between tritium breeding & shielding requirements and mechanical integrity. To enhance the thermodynamic cycle efficiency and reduce the recirculation power by minimizing pressure losses in both the breeding zone and the first wall have been complementary guidelines. Specific models have been created to characterize phenomena like heat transfer and tritium permeation in the breeder channels. The experimental activities, which in general have produced promising results, have consisted in the characterization of different ceramic materials (carbides and oxides) in terms of functional properties at high temperature (as-received and irradiated/implanted samples) and compatibility with PbLi.