Determine the appropriate codes and criteria for fusion power plant magnet structures

Determine which existing codes and criteria should be applied to magnet structures for fusion power plants, or establish whether dedicated magnet-structure codes and criteria should instead be developed.

Background

The paper explains that codes, standards, and criteria provide the framework for specifying materials, manufacturing and joining processes, analysis methods, safety margins, and verification procedures. However, superconducting fusion magnets differ substantially from conventional pressure vessels: they operate at cryogenic temperatures, experience complex three-dimensional and cyclic electromagnetic loads, rely on non-metallic insulation and bonded components, and are particularly sensitive to fracture, residual stresses, fabrication defects, and limited in-service inspection.

Because existing pressure-vessel codes may impose excessive conservatism or fail to represent the structural behavior and manufacturing imperfections of large cryogenic magnets, the paper identifies the selection or development of an appropriate regulatory and engineering framework as an unresolved question for future fusion power plant magnet designs.