Design of self-cooled, liquid-metal blankets for tokamak and tandem mirror reactors

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

OSTI ID:5794175

Cha, Y S; Gohar, Y; Hassanein, A M; Majumdar, S; Picologlou, B F; Smith, D L; Szo, D K

Results of the self-cooled, liquid-metal blanket design from the Blanket Comparison and Selection Study (BCSS) are summarized. The objectives of the BCSS project are to define a small number (about three) of blanket concepts that should be the focus of the blanket research and development (RandD) program, identify and prioritize the critical issues for the leading blanket concepts, and provide technical input necessary to develop a blanket RandD program plan. Two liquid metals (lithium and lithium-lead (17Li-83Pb)) and three structural materials (primary candidate alloy (PCA), ferritic steel (FS) (HT-9), and vanadium alloy (V-15 Cr-5 Ti)) are included in the evaluations for both tokamaks and tandem mirror reactors (TMRs). TMR is of the tube configuration similar to the Mirror Advanced Reactor Study design. Analyses were performed in the following generic areas for each blanket concept: MHD, thermal hydraulics, stress, neutronics, and tritium recovery. Integral analyses were performed to determine the design window for each blanket design. The Li/Li/V blanket for tokamak and the Li/Li/V, LiPb/LiPb/V, and Li/Li/HT-9 blankets for the TMR are judged to be top-rated concepts. Because of its better thermophysical properties and more uniform nuclear heating profile, liquid lithium is a better coolant than liquid 17Li83Pb. From an engineering point of view, vanadium alloy is a better structural material than either FS or PCA since the former has both a higher allowable structural temperature and a higher allowable coolant/structure interface temperature than the latter. Critical feasibility issues and design constraints for the self-cooled, liquid-metal blanket concepts are identified and discussed.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory, Fusion Power Program, Argonne, IL
• OSTI ID: 5794175
• 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
ALLOYS
BREEDING BLANKETS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DESIGN
ELEMENTS
ENERGY TRANSFER
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FLUID MECHANICS
HEAT TRANSFER
HYDRAULICS
LEAD ALLOYS
LITHIUM
LITHIUM ALLOYS
MAGNETIC MIRROR TYPE REACTORS
MATERIALS
MATERIALS TESTING
MECHANICS
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
RECOVERY
TESTING
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR MATERIALS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
TMR REACTORS
TOKAMAK TYPE REACTORS
TRITIUM RECOVERY
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
VANADIUM ALLOYS
VANADIUM BASE ALLOYS