0000000000871562
AUTHOR
J. Aubert
Thermo-mechanical analyses and ways of optimization of the helium cooled DEMO First Wall under RCC-MRx rules
Abstract The EUROfusion Consortium develops a design of a fusion power demonstrator plant (DEMO) in the framework of the European “Horizon 2020” innovation and research program. One of the key components in the fusion reactor is the Breeding Blanket (BB) surrounding the plasma, ensuring tritium self-sufficiency, heat removal for conversion into electricity, and neutron shielding. Among the 4 candidates for the DEMO BB, 2 of them use helium as coolant (HCPB, HCLL), and another one (DCLL) uses helium to cool down the First Wall (FW) only. Due to uncertainties regarding the plasma Heat Flux (HF) load the DEMO BB integrated FW will have to cope with, a set of sensitive thermal and stress analys…
Thermal optimization of the Helium-Cooled Lithium Lead breeding zone layout design regarding TBR enhancement
Abstract Within the framework of EUROfusion R&D activities, CEA-Saclay has carried out an investigation of the thermal and mechanical performances of alternative designs intended to enhance the Tritium Breeding Ratio (TBR) of the Helium-Cooled Lithium Lead (HCLL) Breeding Blanket (BB) for DEMO. Neutronic calculations performed on the 2014 DEMO HCLL baseline predicted a value of TBR equal to 1.07, lower than the required value of 1.1, necessary to ensure the tritium self-sufficiency of the breeding blanket taking into account uncertainties. In order to reach the TBR target, the strategy of the steel amount reduction inside the HCLL module breeding zone (BZ) has been followed by suppressing s…
Assessment of the Thermo-mechanical Performances of a DEMO Water-Cooled Liquid Metal Blanket Module
Within the framework of DEMO R&D activities, a research cooperation has been launched between ENEA-Brasimone, CEA-Saclay and the University of Palermo to investigate the thermo-mechanical behaviour of the outboard equatorial module of the DEMO1 Water-Cooled Lithium Lead (WCLL) blanket, both under normal operation and over-pressurization steady state scenarios. The research campaign has been carried out following a theoretical-computational approach based on the finite element method (FEM) and adopting a qualified commercial FEM code. In particular, two different three-dimensional FEM models of the WCLL blanket module have been set-up to be used for normal operation and over-pressurization a…
A first search for coincident gravitational waves and high energy neutrinos using LIGO, Virgo and ANTARES data from 2007
A search for high-energy neutrinos coming from the direction of the Sun has been performed using the data recorded by the ANTARES neutrino telescope during 2007 and 2008. The neutrino selection criteria have been chosen to maximize the selection of possible signals produced by the self-annihilation of weakly interacting massive particles accumulated in the centre of the Sun with respect to the atmospheric background. After data unblinding, the number of neutrinos observed towards the Sun was found to be compatible with background expectations. The 90% CL upper limits in terms of spin-dependent and spin-independent WIMP-proton cross-sections are derived and compared to predictions of two sup…
Analysis of the thermo-mechanical behaviour of the DEMO Water-Cooled Lithium Lead breeding blanket module under normal operation steady state conditions
Within the framework of DEMO R&D activities, a research cooperation has been launched between ENEA, the University of Palermo and CEA to investigate the thermo-mechanical behaviour of the outboard equatorial module of the DEMO1 Water-Cooled Lithium Lead (WCLL) blanket under normal operation steady state scenario. The research campaign has been carried out following a theoretical-computational approach based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) and adopting a qualified commercial FEM code. In particular, two different 3D FEM models (Model 1 and Model 2), reproducing respectively the central and the lateral poloidal-radial slices of the WCLL blanket module, have been set up. A particular attent…
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 …
Development of helium coolant DEMO first wall model for SYCOMORE system code based on HCLL concept
Abstract The conceptual design of the demonstration fusion power reactor, known as DEMO, is ongoing and several reactor configurations have to be investigated by exploring different design parameters. For these reasons, within the European framework, systems codes like SYCOMORE (SYstem COde for MOdelling tokamak REactor) have been developed. SYCOMORE includes several specific modules, one of which is aimed to define a suitable design of the helium breeding blanket. The research activity has been devoted to improve the method to define automatically the First Wall design starting from thermal-hydraulic and thermo-mechanical considerations, using analytical design formulae and, also, taking i…
Optimization of the first wall for the DEMO water cooled lithium lead blanket
The maximum heat load capacity of a DEMO First Wall (FW) of reasonable cost may impact the decision of the implementation of limiters in DEMO. An estimate of the engineering limit of the FW heat load capacity is an essential input for this decision. This paper describes the work performed to optimize the FW of the Water Cooled Lithium-Lead (WCLL) blanket concept for DEMO fusion reactor in order to increase its maximum heat load capacity. The optimization is based on the use of water at typical Pressurised Water Reactors conditions as coolant. The present WCLL FW with a waved plasma-faced surface and with circular channels was studied and the heat load limit has been predicted with FEM analy…
On the thermal and thermomechanical assessment of the “Optimized Conservative” helium-cooled lithium lead breeding blanket concept for DEMO
Abstract Within the framework of EUROfusion R&D activities a research campaign has been performed at CEA-Saclay, in close collaboration with the University of Palermo, in order to investigate thermal and thermomechanical performances of the “Optimized Conservative” concept of DEMO Helium-Cooled Lithium Lead breeding blanket (HCLL). Attention has been paid to the HCLL outboard equatorial module (OEM) when subjected to the steady state nominal loading scenario. To this purpose three simplified 3D models, characterized by an increasing level of detail, have been set-up taking into account, firstly, a single radial-toroidal slice, then a basic module geometric unity composed by two adjacent sli…