On the implementation of new technology modules for fusion reactor systems codes

Franza, F.; Boccaccini, Lorenzo Virgilio; Fisher, U.; Heller, R.

doi:10.1016/j.fusengdes.2015.03.034

Cited by 14 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The optimisation of the TF and PF coil system explored in the alternative divertor configuration above, where unconventional shapes of TF coils are considered shows the benefit of fast magnet optimisation codes that can be linked to first stage finite element mechanical engineering analysis and optimisation. The BLUEPRINT code originated from this need and is being expanded to a wider capability (it can generate a simplified 3D CAD model in a few seconds) [36,37], and such models could have more technology added [100,101]. Caution is still needed given the internal complexity of a TF coil for example.…”

Section: Integration Toolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards a fusion power plant: integration of physics and technology

Morris

Akers

Cox

et al. 2022

Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion

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A fusion power plant can only exist with physics and technology acting in synchrony, over space (angstroms to tens of metres) and time (femtoseconds to decades). Recent experience with the European DEMO programme has shown how important it is to start integration early, yet go deep enough to uncover the integration impact, favourable and unfavourable, of the detailed physical and technological characteristics. There are some initially surprising interactions, for example, the fusion power density links the properties of materials in the components to the approaches to waste and remote maintenance in the context of a rigorous safety and environment regime. In this brief tour of a power plant based on a tokamak we outline the major interfaces between plasma physics and technology and engineering considering examples from the European DEMO (exhaust power handling, tritium management and plasma scenarios) with an eye on other concepts. We see how attempting integrated solutions can lead to discoveries and ways to ease interfaces despite the deep coupling of the many aspects of a tokamak plant. A power plant’s plasma, materials and components will be in new parameter spaces with new mechanisms and combinations; the design will therefore be based to a significant extent on sophisticated physics and engineering models making substantial extrapolations. There are however gaps in understanding as well as data – together these are termed “uncertainties”. Early integration in depth therefore represents a conceptual, intellectual and practical challenge, a challenge sharpened by the time pressure imposed by the global need for low carbon energy supplies such as fusion. There is an opportunity (and need) to use emerging transformational advances in computational algorithms and hardware to integrate and advance, despite the “uncertainties” and limited experimental data. We use examples to explore how an integrated approach has the potential to lead to consistent designs that could also be resilient to the residual uncertainties. The paper may stimulate some new thinking as fusion moves to the design of complete power plants alongside an evolving and maturing research programme.

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Section: Integration Toolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards a fusion power plant: integration of physics and technology

Morris

Akers

Cox

et al. 2022

Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion

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“…The coefficients G F z , j→i and G F z ,p→i (outlined in equation (11) to compute the vertical force F z,i acting on the coil i) are calculated resolving equation (2) for every coil pair (i, j) and (i, p). These read as:…”

Section: List Of Symbolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To this end, the connections between the system and design codes can be consolidated by complementing the SCs with a more refined and intermediate system analysis tool, denoted as systems/design code (see figure 1, red-dashed line path), which can impose more consistency. The modular integrated reactor analysis code (MIRA) has been developed at KIT [11][12][13] and it is proposed as a new concept of advanced fusion reactors' systems/design analysis tool for the conceptual design process of DEMO. To this new category of fusion reactors' design codes belongs also BLUEPRINT [14][15][16], which features similar architectural and mathematical aspects and engages in the same set of goals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

MIRA: a multi-physics approach to designing a fusion power plant

et al. 2022

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Fusion systems codes are deployed to produce the baseline of the European fusion power reactor (DEMO) within its conceptual design. A DEMO baseline is mostly defined by a radial/vertical reactor sketch and major reactor parameters, such as fusion and net electric power, magnetic fields, and plasma burn time. A baseline shall also meet a set of prescribed reactor requirements, constraints, and architectural features. According to the conceptual design workflow implemented within the EU-DEMO programme, the output from the systems code is transferred to the detailed physics and engineering design codes. Presently-available fusion systems codes rely on rather basic physics and engineering models (mostly at zero or one-dimensional level). The design codes, instead, are very detailed but run on much longer computing times. To fill the gap between systems and design codes, the multi-fidelity systems/design tool MIRA - Modular Integrated Reactor Analysis - has been recently developed. MIRA incorporates the physics and the engineering insights of the utmost domains of tokamak reactors and relies on a higher spatial resolution, spanning from 1D up to 3D modelling frames. The MIRA approach has been applied to the DEMO 2017 baseline, generated by the EU reference systems code PROCESS and used as input to MIRA. In the paper, the architectural and mathematical insights of the MIRA package are described, along with an EU-DEMO 2017 baseline analysis.

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“…For these reasons, the necessity to develop a multi-physics approach that allows a holistic investigation of all the analysis fields is becoming increasingly pressing in the fusion community. In this sense, many efforts have been dedicated to the development of systems codes for the assessment of the main design parameters of DEMO reactor [8] [9]. Considering the complexity of the phenomena investigated, these codes have to introduce simplifications in the phenomena modelling and in the degree of detail used for the geometry representation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%