Search results for "WCLL"
showing 10 items of 37 documents
Development and application of an alternative modelling approach for the thermo-mechanical analysis of a DEMO water-cooled lithium lead breeding blan…
2022
In the frame of the EUROfusion research activities devoted to the design of the DEMO breeding blanket (BB), the Water-Cooled Lithium-Lead BB (WCLL) concept is one of the candidates currently assessed in EU. To this end, an intense research campaign is ongoing to develop a robust geometric configuration for the WCLL BB Central Outboard Segment (COB). Since the current reference design of the WCLL COB segment is not mature enough to allow a full thermal-hydraulic assessment, an alternative procedure aimed at obtaining a thermal field for the whole segment without performing its complete thermal-hydraulic analysis is presented and applied in this work. The scope of the work is to obtain a ther…
Tokamak cooling systems and power conversion system options
2022
DEMO will be a fusion power plant demonstrating the integration into the grid architecture of an electric utility grid. The design of the power conversion chain is of particular importance, as it must adequately account for the specifics of nuclear fusion on the generation side and ensure compatibility with the electric utility grid at all times. One of the special challenges the foreseen pulsed operation, which affects the operation of the entire heat transport chain. This requires a time-dependant analysis of different concept design approaches to ensure proof of reliable operation and efficiency to obtain nuclear licensing. Several architectures of Balance of Plant were conceived and dev…
Recent progress in developing a feasible and integrated conceptual design of the WCLL BB in EUROfusion project
2019
The water-cooled lithium-lead breeding blanket is in the pre-conceptual design phase. It is a candidate option for European DEMO nuclear fusion reactor. This breeding blanket concept relies on the liquid lithium-lead as breeder-multiplier, pressurized water as coolant and EUROFER as structural material. Current design is based on DEMO 2017 specifications. Two separate water systems are in charge of cooling the first wall and the breeding zone: thermo-dynamic cycle is 295–328 °C at 15.5 MPa. The breeder enters and exits from the breeding zone at 330 °C. Cornerstones of the design are the single module segment approach and the water manifold between the breeding blanket box and the back suppo…
Pre-conceptual design of EU DEMO balance of plant systems: Objectives and challenges
2021
Abstract The European Research Roadmap to the Realisation of Fusion Energy foresees that the DEMO reactor is going to succeed ITER in the pathway towards the exploitation of nuclear fusion, achieving long plasma operation time, demonstrating tritium self-sufficiency and producing net electric output on an industrial scale. Therefore, its design must be more oriented towards the Balance of Plant (BoP) than it is in ITER. Since the early pre-conceptual phase of the DEMO project, emphasis has been laid on identifying the main requirements affecting the overall architecture of the BoP. For instance, specific efforts and proper solutions have been envisaged to cope with the pulsed nature of the …
On the thermo-mechanical behaviour of DEMO water-cooled lithium lead equatorial outboard blanket module
2017
Abstract Within the framework of EUROfusion R&D activities an intense research campaign has been carried out at the University of Palermo, in close cooperation with ENEA Brasimone, in order to investigate the thermo-mechanical performances of the DEMO water-cooled lithium lead breeding blanket (WCLL). In particular, attention has been paid to the most recent geometric configuration of the DEMO WCLL outboard equatorial module, as designed by WCLL project team during 2015, endowed with an attachment system based on the use of radial pins, purposely outlined to connect the module back-plate to its back-supporting structure, that have been properly considered to simulate more realistically the …
On the impact of the heat transfer modelling approach on the prediction of EU-DEMO WCLL breeding blanket thermal performances
2020
Abstract The Water-Cooled Lithium-Lead Breeding Blanket is a key component of a fusion power plant, in charge of ensure Tritium production, shield Vacuum Vessel and magnets and remove the heat power deposited by radiation and particles arising from plasma. The last function is fulfilled by First Wall and Breeding Zone independent cooling systems. Several layouts of BZ coolant system have been investigated in the last years to identify a configuration that might guarantee EUROFER temperature below the limit (550 °C) and good thermal-hydraulic performances (i.e. water outlet temperature of 328 °C). A research activity is conducted to study and compare different modelling approaches to simulat…
Multiphysics Optimization for Water-Cooled Breeding Blanket Design Enhancement
2021
The commercial feasibility of the first fusion power plant generation adopting D-T plasma is strongly dependent upon the self-sustainability in terms of tritium fueling. Within such a kind of reactor, the component selected to house the tritium breeding reactions is the breeding blanket, which is further assigned to heat power removal and radiation shielding functions. As a consequence of both its role and position, the breeding blanket is heavily exposed to both surface and volumetric heat loads and, hence, its design requires a typical multiphysics approach, from the neutronics to the thermo-mechanics. During last years, a great deal of effort has been put in the optimization of the breed…
Preliminary design of a Water Cooled Lithium Lead blanket concept for DEMO reactor
2013
On the effects of the Double-Walled Tubes lay-out on the DEMO WCLL breeding blanket module thermal behavior
2019
Abstract The EU-DEMO Water-Cooled Lithium Lead Breeding Blanket (WCLL BB) concept foresees liquid Pb-15.7Li eutectic alloy as breeder and neutron multiplier, whereas pressurized subcooled water as coolant, with operative conditions typical of the PWR fission reactors (temperature in the range of 295–328 °C and pressure of 15.5 MPa). The cooling down of the BB is guaranteed by means of two separated cooling circuits: the one consisted in square channels housed within the complex of Side Walls and First Wall, and the one composed of a set of Double-Walled Tubes (DWTs) submerged in the Breeding Zone (BZ) and deputed to remove heat power therein generated. A parametric thermal study has been ca…
Parametric study of the influence of double-walled tubes layout on the DEMO WCLL breeding blanket thermal performances
2020
Abstract Within the framework of the EUROfusion activities regarding the EU-DEMO Breeding Blanket (BB) concept, the University of Palermo is long-time involved, in close cooperation with ENEA, in the design of the Water Cooled Lithium Lead (WCLL) BB, that is one of the two concepts under consideration for the DEMO reactor. It is mainly characterized by a liquid lithium-lead eutectic alloy acting as breeder and neutron multiplier, as well as by subcooled pressurized water flowing as coolant under PWR-like conditions (pressure of 15.5 MPa and inlet/outlet temperatures of 295 °C/328 °C). A research campaign has been recently carried out to study the potential influence of the Breeding Zone coo…