Apparatus for friction tests of support elements in fusion devices

Spacers and supports belong to the critical elements in the structure of a nuclear fusion device, particularly, when they are installed in the vacuum or superconducting magnet system of the reactor. These supports have to sustain high loads while allowing a certain amount of tangential movement with low friction and without any stick-slip motion. Vacuum and cryogenic environments are extremely hostile for smooth sliding systems, because conventional liquid lubricants cannot be employed, and only a very limited number of materials for dry sliding systems under these conditions are available. In order to test the friction behaviour of support elements in the field coils of the fusion experiment WENDELSTEIN 7-X, a test rig was build which allows testing in liquid helium environment at 4.2 K, with a normal force up to 150 kN, and a sliding velocity of 0.1 mm/s in oscillating motion. First tests have shown that the apparatus is appropriate for simulating the sliding behaviour of support elements. As an example, a result of an earlier model test of an MoS2-coating is shown.