0000000000628119
AUTHOR
Yves Poitevin
Further improvements of the water-cooled Pb–17Li blanket
Abstract The water-cooled lithium–lead (WCLL) blanket is based on reduced-activation ferritic–martensitic steel as the structural material, the liquid alloy Pb–17Li as breeder and neutron multiplier, and water at typical PWR conditions as coolant. It was developed for DEMO specifications and shall be tested in ITER. In 1999, a reactor parameter optimization was performed in the EU which yielded improved specifications of what could be an attractive fusion power plant. Compared to DEMO, such a power reactor would be different in lay-out, size and performance, thus requiring to better exploit the potential of the WCLL blanket concept in conjunction with a water-cooled divertor. Several new ap…
On the use of tin–lithium alloys as breeder material for blankets of fusion power plants
Abstract Tin–lithium alloys have several attractive thermo-physical properties, in particular high thermal conductivity and heat capacity, that make them potentially interesting candidates for use in liquid metal blankets. This paper presents an evaluation of the advantages and drawbacks caused by the substitution of the currently employed alloy lead–lithium (Pb–17Li) by a suitable tin–lithium alloy: (i) for the European water-cooled Pb–17Li (WCLL) blanket concept with reduced activation ferritic–martensitic steel as the structural material; (ii) for the European self-cooled TAURO blanket with SiCf/SiC as the structural material. It was found that in none of these blankets Sn–Li alloys woul…
Potential and limits of water-cooled Pb–17Li blankets and divertors for a fusion power plant
Abstract Blankets and divertors are key components of a fusion power plant. They have a large impact on the overall plant design, its performance and availability, and on the cost of electricity. The water-cooled Pb–17Li (WCLL) blanket uses reduced activation ferritic–martensitic steel as structural material. It was previously validated under numerous aspects such as TBR, mechanical and thermo-mechanical stability, thermal–hydraulics, MHD, safety and others. This was done assuming the specifications for a European DEMOnstration reactor which were fixed back in 1989. A WCLL blanket would best be combined with a water-cooled divertor so that a single coolant could be used for the entire react…
Progress in EU Breeding Blanket design and integration
Abstract In Europe (EU), in the frame of the EUROfusion consortium activities, four Breeding Blanket (BB) concepts are being developed with the aim of fulfilling the performances required by a near-term fusion power demonstration plant (DEMO) in terms of tritium self-sufficiency and electricity production. The four blanket options cover a wide range of technological possibilities, as water and helium are considered as possible coolants and solid ceramic breeder in combination with beryllium and PbLi as tritium breeder and neutron multipliers. The strategy for the BB selection and operation has to account for the challenging schedule of the EU DEMO, the ambitious operational requirements of …