Method and Apparatus to Produce and Maintain a thick, flowing, Liquid Lithium first wall for Toroidal Magnetic Confinement DT Fusion Reactors

Patent Application · Wed Oct 21 00:00:00 EDT 1998

OSTI ID:782838

Woolley, Robert D

A system for forming a thick flowing liquid metal, in this case lithium, layer on the inside wall of a toroid containing the plasma of a deuterium-tritium fission reactor. The presence of the liquid metal layer or first wall serves to prevent neutron damage to the walls of the toroid. A poloidal current in the liquid metal layer is oriented so that it flows in the same direction as the current in a series of external magnets used to confine the plasma. This current alignment results in the liquid metal being forced against the wall of the toroid. After the liquid metal exits the toroid it is pumped to a heat extraction and power conversion device prior to being reentering the toroid.

• Research Organization: Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH03073
• Assignee: DOEGC
• Patent Number(s): PATENTS-US-A9176254
• Application Number: 9-176,254; TRN: AH200136%%25
• OSTI ID: 782838
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: 1998 Oct 21; Other Information: Supercedes report DE00782838; PBD: 21 Oct 1998; PBD: 21 Oct 1998
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
FIRST WALL
LIQUID METALS
LITHIUM
MAGNETIC CONFINEMENT
D-T REACTORS
TOROIDAL CONFIGURATION
DESIGN