Tokamak blanket design study, final report

Technical Report · Fri Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5157459· OSTI ID:5157459

A cylindrical module concept was developed, analyzed, and incorporated in a tokamak blanket system that includes piping systems, vacuum boundary sealing, and support structures. The design is based on the use of state-of-the-art structural materials (20% cold-worked type 316 stainless steel), lithium as the breeding material, and pressurized helium as the coolant. The module design consists of nested concentric cylinders (with an outer diameter of 10 cm) and features direct wall cooling by helium flowing between the outer (first-wall) cylinder and the inner (lithium-containing) cylinder. Each cylinder can withstand full coolant pressure, thus enhancing reliability. Results show that stainless steel is a viable material for a first wall subjected to a neutron wall loading of 4 MW/m/sup 2/ and a particle heat flux of 1 MW/m/sup 2/. Lifetime analysis shows that the first-wall design meets the goal of operating at 20-min cycles with 95% duty for 100,000 cycles. To reduce system complexity, a larger 20-cm-diam module also was analyzed for incorporation in the blanket assembly. Reliability assessment indicates that it may be possible to double the module in size from 10 to 20 cm in diameter. With a modest increase in coolant pumping power, a blanket assembly comprising 20-cm-diam modules can still achieve 100,000 operating cycles - equivalent to a 3.6-year design lifetime - with only one or two helium coolant leaks into the plasma.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (USA). Fusion Power Systems Dept.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 5157459
• Report Number(s): ORNL/TM-7049
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700201* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Blanket Engineering
ALKALI METALS
ALLOYS
BREEDING BLANKETS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM STEELS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL STEELS
COOLANTS
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DESIGN
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
HELIUM
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
LITHIUM
MATERIALS
METALS
MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS
NICKEL ALLOYS
NONMETALS
POWER DENSITY
RARE GASES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
SIZE
STAINLESS STEEL-316
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
TOKAMAK TYPE REACTORS
WALL LOADING