ARC: A compact, high-field, fusion nuclear science facility and demonstration power plant with demountable magnets

Abstract

The affordable, robust, compact (ARC) reactor is the product of a conceptual design study aimed at reducing the size, cost, and complexity of a combined fusion nuclear science facility (FNSF) and demonstration fusion Pilot power plant. ARC is a ∼ 200 − 250 MWe tokamak reactor with a major radius of 3.3 m, a minor radius of 1.1 m, and an on-axis magnetic field of 9.2 T. ARC has rare earth barium copper oxide (REBCO) superconducting toroidal field coils, which have joints to enable disassembly. This allows the vacuum vessel to be replaced quickly, mitigating first wall survivability concerns, and permits a single device to test many vacuum vessel designs and divertor materials. The design point has a plasma fusion gain of Q p ≈ 13.6, yet is fully non-inductive, with a modest bootstrap fraction of only ∼63%. Thus ARC offers a high power gain with relatively large external control of the current profile. This highly attractive combination is enabled by the ∼23 T peak field on coil achievable with newly available REBCO superconductor technology. External current drive is provided by two innovative inboard RF launchers using 25 MW of lower hybrid and 13.6 MW of ion cyclotron fast wave power. The resulting efficient current drive provides a robust, steady state core plasma far from disruptive limits. ARC uses an all-liquid blanket, consisting of low pressure, slowly flowing fluorine lithium beryllium (FLiBe) molten salt. The liquid blanket is low-risk technology and provides effective neutron moderation and shielding, excellent heat removal, and a tritium breeding ratio ≥ 1.1. The large temperature range over which FLiBe is liquid permits an output blanket temperature of 900 K, single phase fluid cooling, and a high efficiency helium Brayton cycle, which allows for net electricity generation when operating ARC as a Pilot power plant.

20 years of research on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak

“…A design concept for a high-field pilot plant has been developed, demonstrating the advantages of this approach. 12 A limiting factor, of course, would be the ability to provide the mechanical support for the magnetic stresses produced by high-field magnets, though the design efforts described above suggest that this should be achievable.…”

The Future of Low-Carbon Electricity

“…The National Ignition Facility's inertial confinement project at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (119) has also made notable progress. Private sector fusion experiments by General Fusion, Tri Alpha Energy, Lockheed Martin and others (120)(121)(122)(123)(124) have sprung up more recently, and many are exploring unique ideas combining standard magnetic and inertial confinement principles.…”

“…This will serve as a blueprint for a potential fleet of fusion reactors that could be installed around the world. Alternative concepts include compact, high magnetic field tokamaks at MIT (124) and the use of fusion to destroy spent fuel from fission reactors at Georgia Institute of Technology (127).…”

Analysis of Microcomposite Cu-Nb Conductors Characteristics and Possibility of Their Joining / Mikrokompozitinių Cu-Nb Laidininkų Ypatumų Ir Jų Sujungimo Galimybių Analizė

“…ARC reaktoriaus 3D vizualizacija: konstrukcijos pagrindą sudaro superlaidus 9.2 T toroidinis magnetas (Sorbom et al 2015) Fig. 1.…”

“…1. ARC reactor 3D vizualizatiom: design based on 9.2 T superconducting toroidal magnet (Sorbom et al 2015) Kaip matoma iš 2 pav., impulsiniai magnetai pajėgūs sugeneruoti kur kas stipresnį magnetinį lauką nei nuolatinio veikimo ar superlaidūs magnetai, todėl impulsinės magnetinės sistemos tampa puikia kitų magnetinių laukų technologijų alternatyva daugelyje sričių. Stipraus nuolatinio magnetinio lauko generavimas yra didelė prabanga dėl reikalingos tokiai įrangai sumontuoti infrastruktūros, brangių medžiagų, didelių žmogiškųjų, energetinių ir kitų išteklių.…”