Unified first wall-blanket structure for plasma device applications

Patent · Tue Oct 06 04:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:5867798

Gruen, D M

This patent describes a nuclear reaction plasma device for generating neutron streams having a plasma and a structure serving as both the first wall and the blanket. The structure comprises: a first wall for containment of plasma at elevated temperatures. The first wall adjoins and exposes an inner plasma zone thereby providing a first barrier to the plasma and a blanket containing multiple channels for channeling helium and multiple passages for channeling water through the blanket. The blanket is for generation of sensible heat from the neutron streams. The first wall comprises an inner surface for exposure to the plasma. The inner surface and the blanket are of a one-piece structure initially composed of a metallic solid solution containing a major amount of copper and about 15-25 at.% of lithium and melting above about 500/sup 0/C. The blanket includes means for adding lithium vapor to the helium gas being channeled to the blanket for replacing lithium converted to tritium. The walls of the channels are composed of a material which will allow transfer of tritium from the blanket into the helium gas passing through the channels and transfer of the lithium vapor from the helium gas into the blanket.

• Assignee: Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC
• Patent Number(s): US 4698198
• OSTI ID: 5867798
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700201* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Blanket Engineering
700209 -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Component Development & Materials Testing
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALLOYS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BREEDING BLANKETS
CONFINEMENT
COPPER COMPOUNDS
DESIGN
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
FIRST WALL
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
GAS FLOW
GASES
HELIUM
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
LITHIUM COMPOUNDS
MELTING POINTS
MIXTURES
NEUTRON SOURCES
NONMETALS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLE SOURCES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMA
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIOISOTOPES
RARE GASES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
SOLID SOLUTIONS
SOLUTIONS
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR WALLS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE
TRITIUM
VAPORS
WATER
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES