The Pulse Star inertial confinement fusion reactor
Pulse Star is a pool-type ICF reactor that emphasizes low cost and high safety levels. The reactor consists of a vacuum chamber (belljar) submerged in a compact liquid metal (Li/sub 17/Pb/sub 83/ or lithium) pool which also contains the heat exchangers and liquid metal pumps. The shielding efficiency of the liquid metal pool is high enough to allow hands-on maintenance of (removed) pumps and heat exchangers. Liquid metal is allowed to spray through the 5.5 m radius belljar at a controlled rate, but is prohibited from the target region by a 4 m radius mesh first wall. The wetted first wall absorbs the fusion x-rays and debris while the spray region absorbs the fusion neutrons. The mesh allows vaporized liquid metal to blow through to the spray region where it can quickly cool and condense. Preliminary calculations show that a 2 m thick first wall could handle the mechanical (support, buckling, and x-ray induced hoop) loads. Wetting and gas flow issues are in an initial investigation stage.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, Livermore, CA
- OSTI ID:
- 5789267
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-850310-
- Journal Information:
- Fusion Technol.; (United States), Vol. 8:1; Conference: 6. topical meeting on the technology of fusion energy, San Francisco, CA, USA, 3 Mar 1985
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
LASER FUSION REACTORS
DESIGN
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
EVAPORATION
FIRST WALL
GAS FLOW
HEAT TRANSFER
HYDRAULICS
LEAD BASE ALLOYS
LIQUID METALS
LITHIUM ALLOYS
NEUTRON ABSORBERS
SPRAYS
VACUUM SYSTEMS
VAPOR CONDENSATION
ALLOYS
CONFINEMENT
ELEMENTS
ENERGY TRANSFER
FLUID FLOW
FLUID MECHANICS
FLUIDS
LEAD ALLOYS
LIQUIDS
MECHANICS
METALS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR WALLS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
700208* - Fusion Power Plant Technology- Inertial Confinement Technology