First wall engineering and technology in fusion

Conference · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:7182845

Hopkins, G. R.

The first wall of a fusion reactor presents a particularly difficult engineering design problem because of the severe environment in which it must operate, yet remain useful over a reasonable lifetime. All the plasma emanations interact with the first wall. Plasma particles cause erosion and heating, electromagnetic radiation produces heating, and neutrons cause radiation damage and potentially high radioactive material inventories. The energy partition between the radiation and particle loads has a high uncertainty at this stage of development and it would be desirable to control this for fusion power reactors. Plasma disruptions cause high pulsed heat loads, with magnitudes sufficient to melt and vaporize refractopy materials. With the worst projections, first wall lifetimes would be unduly short in power reactors. With continuing attention to the disruption phenomenon, however, the experience gained in experimental power devices should provide the background for plasma boundary region control to prevent surface erosion, and to limit the number and intensity of plasma disruptions.

• Research Organization: General Atomic Co., San Diego, CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AT03-76ET51011
• OSTI ID: 7182845
• Report Number(s): GA-A-16089; CONF-801011-30
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700209* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Component Development & Materials Testing
DESIGN
DIVERTORS
ENGINEERING
FIRST WALL
LIMITERS
POWER DENSITY
SHIELDING
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR WALLS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
TOKAMAK TYPE REACTORS
WALL LOADING