Thick Liquid-Walled Spheromak Magnetic Fusion Power Plant
We assume a spheromak configuration can be made and sustained by a steady gun current, which injects particles, current and magnetic field, i.e., helicity injection. The equilibrium is calculated with an MHD equilibrium code, where an average beta of 10% is found. The toroidal current of 40 MA is sustained by an injection current of 100 kA (125 MW of gun power). The flux linking the gun is 1/1000th that of the flux in the spheromak. The geometry allows a flow of liquid, either molten salt, (flibe-Li{sub 2}BeF{sub 4} or flinabe-LiNaBeF{sub 4}) or liquid metal such as SnLi which protects most of the walls and structures from neutron damage. The free surface between the liquid and the burning plasma is heated by bremsstrahlung and optical radiation and neutrons from the plasma. The temperature of the free surface of the liquid is calculated and then the evaporation rate is estimated. The impurity concentration in the burning plasma is estimated and limited to a 20% reduction in the fusion power. For a high radiating edge plasma, the divertor power density of 460 MW/m{sup 2} is handled by high-speed (20 m/s), liquid jets. For low radiating edge plasmas, the divertor-power density of 1860 MW/m{sup 2} is too high to handle for flibe but possibly acceptable for SnLi with jets of 100 m/s flow speed. Calculations show the tritium breeding is adequate with enriched Li and appropriate design of the walls not covered by flowing liquid 15% of the total. We have come up with a number of problem areas needing further study to make the design self consistent and workable.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 15013478
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-ID-148021; TRN: US0600158
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
POLICY AND ECONOMY
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
BREEDING
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
CONFIGURATION
DIVERTORS
EVAPORATION
FLIBE
GEOMETRY
HELICITY
LIQUID METALS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MHD EQUILIBRIUM
MOLTEN SALTS
NEUTRONS
POWER DENSITY
POWER PLANTS
RADIATIONS
TRITIUM
VELOCITY