CoreFlow® Showcases Groundbreaking Sub-Surface Machining Technique at Fusion Engineering Symposium
A revolutionary sub-surface machining technique, CoreFlow®, has emerged as a game-changer in the manufacturing industry. Born from the innovative concepts of friction stir welding and friction stir channeling, CoreFlow® introduces a solid-state process that seamlessly integrates sub-surface networks of channels into monolithic parts with two or three-dimensional configurations, all accomplished in a single manufacturing step. These embedded channels unlock a myriad of applications, notably in heat exchange and beyond.
The spotlight was on CoreFlow® at the prestigious Fusion Engineering Symposium, held from 9-13 July 2023 at the Examination School, Oxford. This remarkable event marked only the second time the Symposium was conducted outside the United States, and notably, its inaugural occurrence in Europe.
The biennial conference, known as SOFE (Symposium on Fusion Engineering), focuses on the pursuit of fusion excellence and serves as a platform to unite the global fusion community. The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) played a pivotal role as the host of this prestigious gathering.
At the conference, Sam Holdsworth, the project leader for friction welding at TWI, took the stage to present the CoreFlow® poster. The poster captivated the audience with its comprehensive insights into the latest developments in manufacturing cooling channels within copper, utilizing the groundbreaking CoreFlow® technique. The presentation was a testament to the immense potential and applicability of CoreFlow® in advancing cooling and heat exchange processes.
As the UK's national research organization dedicated to fusion energy development, the UKAEA is at the forefront of driving progress in this field. Some of the UKAEA's ongoing projects include the MAST-Upgrade (Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak) fusion experiment and the JET (Joint European Torus) fusion research facility, both located in Culham, Oxford. The UKAEA also spearheads the STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) program, aimed at accelerating the delivery of fusion energy with a vision to produce net electricity from a prototype powerplant by the 2040s in Nottinghamshire.
Beyond their focus on fusion energy, the UKAEA actively collaborates with academia, research organizations, and the industrial supply chain to explore cutting-edge advancements in various fields, including robotics and materials.
The CoreFlow® poster presentation, titled 'Latest Developments on Manufacturing Cooling Channels in Copper using CoreFlow,' fell under the conference's 'I. Plant Efficiency, Power Management, and Control theme, garnering significant attention from attendees eager to witness the potential of this groundbreaking technology.
With CoreFlow® pushing the boundaries of traditional machining techniques, the fusion community and manufacturing industry at large remain eager to witness the continued developments and applications of this transformative technology.
