Advanced high performance solid wall blanket concepts

Abstract

First wall and blanket (FW/blanket) design is a crucial element in the performance and acceptance of a fusion power plant. High temperature structural and breeding materials are needed for high thermal performance. A suitable combination of structural design with the selected materials is necessary for D Á/T fuel sufficiency. Whenever possible, low afterheat, low chemical reactivity and low activation materials are desired to achieve passive safety and minimize the amount of high-level waste. Of course the selected fusion FW/blanket design will have to match the operational scenarios of high performance plasma. The key characteristics of eight advanced high performance FW/blanket concepts are presented in this paper. Design configurations, performance characteristics, unique advantages and issues are summarized. All reviewed designs can satisfy most of the necessary design goals. For further development, in concert with the advancement in plasma control and scrape off layer physics, additional emphasis will be needed in the areas of first wall coating material selection, design of plasma stabilization coils, consideration of reactor startup and transient events. To validate the projected performance of the advanced FW/blanket concepts the critical element is the need for 14 MeV neutron irradiation facilities for the generation of necessary engineering design data and the prediction of FW/blanket components lifetime and availability. #

Feasibility of Hydrogen Production Using Laser Inertial Fusion as the Primary Energy Source

“…The key characteristics of eight advanced FW/blanket concepts for magnetic confinement were recently tabulated [Wong et al (2002)]. The results are summarized in Table 3-2 below.…”

“…5. Adaptation of Advanced HCPB blanket with SiC f /SiC structural material [Wong et al (2002)]; T outlet = 700°C, T intlet = 350°C, P = 8 MPa. 6.…”

Range of blanket concepts from near term solutions to advanced concepts

“…In the frame of the US-Advanced Power Extraction (US-APEX) study [2] a novel blanket concept was proposed, where the entire heat from the first wall and the breeding zone is removed by evaporation of lithium and vapor extraction (EVOLVE) [24,25]. This concept is based on the use of a tungsten alloy as structural material and the exceptional large heat of evaporation of lithium.…”

Review of blanket designs for advanced fusion reactors

“…Due to its exceptional relevance, the question on the right breeding blanket concept has frequently been discussed in literature (e.g. see [1]). Next to the blanket technology itself, the compatibility with advanced power conversion systems and with suitable remote maintenance strategies as well as the coolant cycles have to be considered in detail.…”