Response of materials to high heat fluxes during operation in fusion reactors
Very high energy deposition on first wall and other components of a fusion reactor is expected due to plasma instabilities during both normal and off-normal operating conditions. Off-normal operating conditions result from plasma disruptions where the plasma loses confinement and dumps its energy on the reactor components. High heat flux may also result from normal operating conditions due to fluctuations in plasma edge conditions. This high energy dump in a short time results in very high surface temperatures and may consequently cause melting and vaporization of these materials. The net erosion rates resulting from melting and vaporization are very important to estimate the lifetime of such components. The response of different candidate materials to this high heat fluxes is determined for different energy densities and deposition times. The analysis used a previously developed model to solve the heat conduction equation in two moving boundaries. One moving boundary is at the surface to account for surface recession due to vaporization and the second moving boundary is to account for the solid-liquid interface inside the material. The calculations are done parametrically for both the expected energy deposited and the deposition time. These ranges of energy and time are based on recent experimental observations in current fusion devices. The candidate materials analyzed are stainless steel, carbon, and tungsten. 8 refs., 9 figs.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 6716832
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-881120-12; ON: DE89000616
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
700209* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Component Development & Materials Testing
CALCULATION METHODS
EROSION
FIRST WALL
HEAT FLUX
MATERIALS
MATERIALS TESTING
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SHIELDING
SURFACES
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
TESTING
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR MATERIALS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR WALLS