Nuclear performances of the water-cooled lithium lead DEMO reactor: Neutronic analysis on a fully heterogeneous model

Moro, F.; Arena, P.; Catanzaro, Ilenia; Colangeli, A.; Nevo, Alessandro Del; Flammini, D.; Fonnesu, N.; Forte, Ruggero; Imbriani, Vito; Mariano, G.; Mozzillo, Rocco; Noce, Simone; Villari, R.

doi:10.1016/j.fusengdes.2021.112514

Cited by 24 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…The design of the breeding blanket is strongly influenced by the DEMO reactor layout. The current DEMO configuration [5] includes 16 TFCs that basically divide the whole machine into 16 sectors of 22.5 • . Each sector is further split in five BB segments, two in the inboard region-namely left and right inboard blanket segments (LIB and RIB, respectively)-and three in the outboard region-namely left, central, and right outboard blanket segments (LOB, COB, and ROB, respectively).…”

Section: Wcll Bb Layoutmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, it houses bundles of tubes for the removal the heat power deposited by neutrons and γ rays interacting with both the breeder and structural steel. Indeed, the majority (about 72% [16]) of the heat power arising from nuclear fusion reactions is deposited in this region of the blanket. The BZ is reinforced with a grid of radial-toroidal (i.e., horizontal) and radial-poloidal (i.e., vertical) stiffening plates.…”

Section: The Breeding Zone (Bz)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In order to assess the neutronic performance of the WCLL BB, three-dimensional coupled neutron and gamma transport simulations have been performed [16] by means of the MCNP5v1.6 Monte Carlo code and the Joint Evaluated Fusion File JEFF 3.3 nuclear data libraries, according to guidelines on neutronic studies. The analyses, carried out while adopting a fully heterogeneous model of the DEMO WCLL BB, mainly concerned the assessment of the TBR and shielding performance.…”

Section: Neutronic Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

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The DEMO Water-Cooled Lead–Lithium Breeding Blanket: Design Status at the End of the Pre-Conceptual Design Phase

et al. 2021

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The Water-Cooled Lead–Lithium Breeding Blanket (WCLL BB) is one of the two blanket concept candidates to become the driver blanket of the EU-DEMO reactor. The design was enacted with a holistic approach. The influence that neutronics, thermal-hydraulics (TH), thermo-mechanics (TM) and magneto-hydro-dynamics (MHD) may have on the design were considered at the same time. This new approach allowed for the design team to create a WCLL BB layout that is able to comply with different foreseen requirements in terms of integration, tritium self-sufficiency, and TH and TM needs. In this paper, the rationale behind the design choices and the main characteristics of the WCLL BB needed for the EU-DEMO are reported and discussed. Finally, the main achievements reached during the pre-conceptual design phase and some remaining open issues to be further investigated in the upcoming conceptual design phase are reported as well.

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Section: Wcll Bb Layoutmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Breeding Zone (Bz)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Neutronic Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

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The DEMO Water-Cooled Lead–Lithium Breeding Blanket: Design Status at the End of the Pre-Conceptual Design Phase

et al. 2021

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“…As a first approximation, this source only depends on the radial coordinate. The shape of this kind of functions are derived from the neutronics analyses performed for the WCLL (e.g., [4]). In this work, the following piecewise functions have been used.…”

Section: Numerical Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Magneto-Convective Analyses of the PbLi Flow for the EU-WCLL Fusion Breeding Blanket

2021

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The Water Cooled Lithium Lead (WCLL) breeding blanket is one of the driver blanket concepts under development for the European Demonstration Reactor (DEMO). The majority of the blanket volume is occupied by flowing PbLi at eutectic composition. This liquid metal flow is subdued to high fluxes of particles coming from the plasma which are translated into a high non-homogeneous heat volumetric source inside the fluid. The heat is removed from the PbLi thanks to several water tubes immersed in the metal. The dynamics of the PbLi is heavily affected by the heat source and by the position of the tubes. Moreover, the conducting fluid is electrically coupled with the intense magnetic field used for the plasma confinement. As a result, the PbLi flow is strongly affected by the Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) forces. In the WCLL, the MHD and convective interactions are expected to be comparable. Therefore, the PbLi dynamics and consequently the heat transfer between the liquid metal and the water coolant will be ruled by the magneto-convective phenomenon. This work presents 3D computational analyses of the PbLi flow in the frontal region of the WCLL design. The simulations include the combined effect of MHD forces caused by the magnetic field and the buoyancy interaction created by the temperature distribution. The latter is determined by the PbLi dynamics, the volumetric heat source and the position of the water tubes. Simulations have allowed computing the heat transfer between the PbLi and the water tubes. Nusselt and Grashof numbers have been obtained in the different regions of the system.

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“…The radiative power distribution was derived by EUROfusion partners using the ASTRA transport code [7] developed by IPP for core radiative flux, the SOLPS code [8] for the scrape-off-layer radiative flux and the CHERAB code [9] developed by Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE). Nuclear heating deposition schemes were obtained with Monte Carlo N-particle analyses [10,11] concerning W, PbLi, water, Eurofer, and SS316L (VV) domains.…”

Section: Primary Heat Transfer Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Model Development and Transient Analysis of the WCLL BB BOP DEMO Configuration Using the Apros System Code

Szogradi

Norrman

2021

Energies

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Extensive modelling and analytical work has been carried out considering the water-cooled lithium–lead breeding blanket (WCLL BB) balance of plant (BOP) configuration of the demonstration power plant (DEMO) using the Apros system code, developed by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. and Fortum. Contributing to the BOP work package of the EUROfusion Consortium, the integral plant model for dynamic analyses of the WCLL BB configuration has been updated with special attention to primary system components. Following trends of relevant neutronics modelling, a new BB model has been implemented in 2020 with the aim to obtain higher resolution output data and a more realistic thermalhydraulic feedback from the primary system. Once-through steam generator user components have been built based on CAD models conceived by BOP partners. Transient analyses have been performed providing a better picture regarding the behaviour of main components, e.g., the BB and the OTSGs, whilst highlighting possible ways to optimise the control scheme of the plant.

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Nuclear performances of the water-cooled lithium lead DEMO reactor: Neutronic analysis on a fully heterogeneous model

Cited by 24 publications

References 11 publications

The DEMO Water-Cooled Lead–Lithium Breeding Blanket: Design Status at the End of the Pre-Conceptual Design Phase

The DEMO Water-Cooled Lead–Lithium Breeding Blanket: Design Status at the End of the Pre-Conceptual Design Phase

Magneto-Convective Analyses of the PbLi Flow for the EU-WCLL Fusion Breeding Blanket

Model Development and Transient Analysis of the WCLL BB BOP DEMO Configuration Using the Apros System Code

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