Economic evaluation of the Blanket Comparison and Selection Study

Journal Article · Mon Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985 · Fusion Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5790928

Waganer, L M

The economic impact of employing the highly ranked blankets in the Blanket Comparison and Selection Study (BCSS) was evaluated in the context of both a tokamak and a tandem mirror power reactor (TMR). The economic evaluation criterion was determined to be the cost of electricity. The influencing factors that were considered are the direct cost of the blankets and related systems; the annual cost of blanket replacement; and the performance of the blanket, heat transfer, and energy conversion systems. The technical and cost bases for comparison were those of the STARFIRE and Mirror Advanced Reactor Study conceptual design power plants. The economic evaluation results indicated that the nitrate-salt-cooled blanket concept is an economically attractive concept for either reactor type. The water-cooled, solid breeder blanket is attractive for the tokamak and somewhat less attractive for the TMR. The helium-cooled, liquidlithium breeder blanket is the least economically desirable of higher ranked concepts. The remaining self-cooled liquid-metal and the helium-cooled blanket concepts represent moderately attractive concepts from an economic standpoint. These results are not in concert with those found in the other BCSS evaluation areas (engineering feasibility, safety, and research and development (R and D) requirements). The blankets faring well economically had generally lower cost components, lower pumping power requirements, and good power production capability. On the other hand, helium- and lithium-cooled systems were preferred from the standpoints of safety, engineering feasibility, and R and D requirements.

• Research Organization: McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company, St. Louis, MO
• OSTI ID: 5790928
• Journal Information: Fusion Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Fusion Technol.; (United States) Vol. 8:1; ISSN FUSTE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700201* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Blanket Engineering
ALKALI METALS
BREEDING BLANKETS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COOLANTS
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
DESIGN
ECONOMIC IMPACT
ELEMENTS
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FLUIDS
GASES
HELIUM
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LITHIUM
MAGNETIC MIRROR TYPE REACTORS
MARS REACTOR
MATERIALS
METALS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RARE GASES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
STARFIRE TOKAMAK
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR MATERIALS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
TMR REACTORS
TOKAMAK TYPE REACTORS
WATER