Helium-cooled, FLiBe-breeder, beryllium-multiplier blanket for MINIMARS
The authors adapt the helium-cooled, FLiBe-breeder blanket to the commercial tandem-mirror fusion-reactor design, MINIMARS. Vanadium is used to achieve high performance from the high-energy-release neutron-capture reactions and from the high-temperature operation permitted by the refractory property of the material, which increases the conversion efficiency and decreases the helium-pumping power. Although this blanket has the highest performance among the MINIMARS blankets designs, measured by Mn/sub th/ (blanket energy multiplication times thermal conversion efficiency), it has a cost of electricity (COE) 18% higher than the University of Wisconsin (UW) blanket design (42.5 vs 35.9 mills/kW . h). This increased cost was due to using higher-cost blanket materials (beryllium and vanadium) and a thicker blanket, which resulted in higher-cost central-cell magnets and the need for more blanket materials. Apparently, the high efficiency does not substantially affect the COE. Therefore, in the future, they recommend lowering the helium temperature so that ferritic steel can be used. This will result in a lower-cost blanket, which may compensate for the lower performance resulting from lower efficiency.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., Univ. of California, P.O. Box 808, L-644, Livermore, CA 94550
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 7006027
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-860652-
- Journal Information:
- Fusion Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Fusion Technol.; (United States) Vol. 10:3; ISSN FUSTE
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Helium-cooled, flibe breeder, beryllium multiplier blanket for MINIMARS
Related Subjects
700201* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Blanket Engineering
ALLOYS
BARYON REACTIONS
BREEDING BLANKETS
CAPTURE
COOLANTS
COST
DIMENSIONS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC POWER
ELEMENTS
FERRITIC STEELS
FLIBE
FLUIDS
GASES
HADRON REACTIONS
HELIUM
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MAGNETIC MIRROR TYPE REACTORS
MAGNETS
MATERIALS
METALS
MINIMARS REACTOR
MOLTEN SALTS
NEUTRON REACTIONS
NONMETALS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEON REACTIONS
PERFORMANCE
POWER
PUMPING
RARE GASES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
SALTS
STEELS
THERMAL EFFICIENCY
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
THICKNESS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VANADIUM