Non-destructive testing of CFC monoblock divertor mock-ups

Non-destructive examination (NDE) methods for joint interfaces between different materials in high heat flux (HHF) components of divertor should be urgently developed to assure quality and reliability of joining techniques. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate the ability of using ultrasonic wave and thermography NDE techniques to detect the defect in the joining interface (joint defect) of divertor mock-tips with carbon-fiber reinforced carbon monoblock armor tiles brazed on a copper cooling tube. The results of both NDEs are benchmarked with HHF tests and cross-sectional observation of the mock-up to correlate the joint defect size detected with NDEs to the thermal response of the mock-up with initial joint defects. From the results of the HHF tests and the cross-sectional observations, it can be concluded that both NDE techniques have sufficient accuracy to predict the surface temperature of the HHF components. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.