Lithium-cooled blankets for advanced tokamaks

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5637974

Picologlou, B F; Cha, Y S; Majumdar, S

The main objective of the Tokamak Power System Studies (TPSS) at Argonne National Lab. during fiscal year 1985 was to explore innovative design concepts that have the potential for significant enhancement of the attractiveness of a tokamak-based power plant. Activities in the area of plasma engineering resulted in a reference reactor concept, which served as a model for the impurity control and first-wall/blanket/shield studies. The liquid-metal-cooled first-wall/blanket/shield design activity was centered around the vanadium alloy structure and liquid-lithium coolant leading blanket concept as identified by the Blanket Comparison and Selection Study (BCSS). A ferritic steel structure and a LiPb breeder were considered as backup options. The magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) effects associated with self-cooled liquid-metal blanket/first-wall systems are substantially reduced by the lower magnetic fields required for higher plasmas, the lower neutron wall loading resulting from reduced power output, and the smaller reactor size of the TPSS model reactor. Therefore, improved performance characteristics of self-cooled liquid-metal blanket concepts are achievable mainly because the design constraints are more relaxed compared to the BCSS guidelines. Key aspects of the designs evaluated in the current study include the following: (1) design simplicity; (2) use of the first wall as an impurity control device; (3) modular first-wall/blanket/reflector/shield construction; and (4) integrated first-wall/blanket/reflector/shield.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL
• OSTI ID: 5637974
• Report Number(s): CONF-860610-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States) Journal Volume: 52
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700201* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Blanket Engineering
700204 -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Cooling Systems
ALKALI METALS
BREEDING BLANKETS
COOLING SYSTEMS
DESIGN
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
FIRST WALL
FLUID MECHANICS
FLUIDS
HYDRODYNAMICS
LEAD
LIQUID METALS
LIQUIDS
LITHIUM
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MECHANICS
METALS
NEUTRON REFLECTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SHIELDING
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR WALLS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
TOKAMAK TYPE REACTORS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VANADIUM