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-; TRN: 87-007583
- Journal Information:
- Fusion Technol.; (United States), Vol. 10:3; Conference: 7. topical meeting on the technology of fusion energy, Reno, NV, USA, 15 Jun 1986
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Helium-cooled, flibe breeder, beryllium multiplier blanket for MINIMARS
Conceptual design of a self-cooled Flibe blanket
Related Subjects
BREEDING BLANKETS
MATERIALS
MINIMARS REACTOR
CAPTURE
COOLANTS
COST
ELECTRIC POWER
FERRITIC STEELS
FLIBE
HELIUM
MAGNETS
NEUTRON REACTIONS
PERFORMANCE
PUMPING
THERMAL EFFICIENCY
THICKNESS
VANADIUM
ALLOYS
BARYON REACTIONS
DIMENSIONS
EFFICIENCY
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
HADRON REACTIONS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MAGNETIC MIRROR TYPE REACTORS
METALS
MOLTEN SALTS
NONMETALS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEON REACTIONS
POWER
RARE GASES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
SALTS
STEELS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
700201* - Fusion Power Plant Technology- Blanket Engineering