A new UK research initiative led by the University of Nottingham’s Centre for Additive Manufacturing (CfAM) and UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) is aiming to tackle one of fusion energy's toughest challenges.
The project, titled DIADEM (Design of Interfaces for Additively Engineered Metamaterials), will explore new ways to manufacture materials for extreme environments - specifically, how additive manufacturing can enable different metals to be fused together to create entirely new alloys. The project is being funded by the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council’s (EPSRC) Adventurous Manufacturing programme, and is supported by industrial partners including Rolls Royce, the MTC and Aerosint.
Fusion machines require specific materials that can operate under complex conditions including extreme temperatures. Tungsten and copper are ideal candidates but their vastly different thermal properties pose a challenge. To solve this, DIADEM aims to use Multi-Metal Laser Powder Bed Fusion (MM-LPBF), which allows precise control over material composition and structure, to create ‘metamaterials’ with varying compositions at different scales. The outcomes are intended to support technology critical for a wide range of fusion programmes including STEP, the UK’s prototype fusion power plant targeting operation in 2040, and private fusion projects.
Richard Hague, Director of the Centre for Additive Manufacturing, said: “Joining two dissimilar metals has been a critical problem for the fusion sector, where the ability to blend two metals together is imperative for progress in this area. Using this state-of-the-art multi-material additive manufacturing technique for fusion energy is just the first application – in the future, DIADEM will benefit any sector where high-performance, multi-metal components are required, such as aerospace, defence and healthcare. By mastering multi-metal additive manufacturing, we’re opening the door to a new generation of engineered materials.”
Allan Harte, Fusion Technology Research Portfolio Manager at UKAEA, added: “Fusion promises to be a safe, low-carbon, sustainable part of the world’s future energy supply, and the UK has a great opportunity to become a global exporter of fusion technology.
“However, achieving fusion means solving complex challenges. This project, leveraging additive manufacturing to help manufacture key fusion components, forms part of UKAEA’s ongoing efforts to bring fusion energy closer to commercial reality.”
TCT Team
