THERMOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF THE REVISED U. S. ITER DCLL TEST BLANKET MODULE (original) (raw)
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Fusion Engineering and Design, 2010
The Helium-Cooled Lithium Lead Test Blanket Module (HCLL-TBM) is one of the two TBM to be installed in an ITER equatorial port since day 1 of operation, with the specific aim to investigate the main concept functionalities and issues such as high efficiency helium cooling, resistance to thermo-mechanical stresses, manufacturing techniques, as well as tritium transport, magneto-hydrodynamics effects and corrosion. In particular, in order to show a DEMO-relevant thermo-mechanical and thermal-hydraulic behavior, the HCLL-TBM has to meet several requirements especially as far as its coolant thermofluid-dynamic conditions and its thermal-mechanical field are concerned. The present paper is focused on the assessment of the HCLL-TBM thermal-mechanical performances under both nominal and accidental load conditions, by adopting a computational approach based on the Finite Element Method. A realistic 3D finite element model of the whole HCLL-TBM, in the horizontal first wall design has been set up, consisting of about 597,000 elements and 767,000 nodes. In particular, since the thermal fields of both the module and the coolant are strictly coupled, the helium flow domain has been modeled too and a thermal contact model has been set up to properly simulate the convective heat transfer between the structure wall and the coolant. Pure conductive heat transfer has been assumed within the Pb-Li eutectic alloy of the breeder units. The volumetric density of the nuclear deposited power, recently calculated at Department of Nuclear Engineering of the University of Palermo by the MCNP 4C code, has been applied as distributed thermal load in order to assess the potential influence on the module thermo-mechanical performances of the markedly non-uniform poloidal and toroidal distributions that have been predicted within the Segment Box. Different loading scenarios have been considered as to the heat flux onto the module First Wall. Steady state and transient thermal-mechanical analyses have been carried out and the detailed spatial distributions of the thermal and mechanical fields obtained as to the considered loading scenarios are reported, together with a critical analysis intended to verify their compliance with the agreed design criteria and the DEMO relevance requirements.
Overview of the US ITER Dual Coolant Lead Lithium (DCLL) Test Blanket Module Program
Proceedings - Symposium on Fusion Engineering, 2006
With the US rejoining ITER, the US chamber technology community has resumed participation in discussion in the ITER Test Blanket Working Group (TBWG) and has proposed to develop, in collaboration with other parties, liquid and solid breeder blanket concepts to be tested in ITER. Presently, the US focus on the liquid breeder option is the dual coolant heliumcooled reduced activation ferritic steel structure with self-cooled Pb-17Li breeder (DCLL) that uses flow channel insert (FCI) as the MHD and thermal insulator. When projected for a reference tokamak power reactor design, it has the potential for a gross thermal efficiency of > 40%. The US is planning for an independent test blanket module (TBM) that will occupy half an ITER test port with corresponding supporting ancillary equipment. An initial design, testing strategy and corresponding test plan have been completed for the DCLL concept. The DCLL TBM conceptual design for the integrated testing phase, including the choice of configuration, relevant design analyses, ancillary equipment, testing strategy and corresponding test plan, have been prepared for the transition into the preliminary design phase.
Applied Sciences, 2022
Within the framework of the EUROfusion research and development activities, the Water-Cooled Lithium Lead (WCLL) Breeding Blanket (BB) is one of the two candidates to be chosen as the driver blanket for the European DEMO nuclear fusion reactor. Hence, an intense research work is currently ongoing throughout the EU to develop a robust conceptual design able to fulfil the design requirements selected at the end of the DEMO pre-conceptual design phase. In this work, the thermo-mechanical analysis and the design update of the top cap (TC) region of the DEMO WCLL Central Out-board Blanket (COB) segment is presented. The scope of the work is to find a design solution of the WCLL COB TC region able to fulfil the design requirements, prescribed by the reference RCC-MRx code, under the selected nominal and accidental steady state loading scenarios. The activity herein presented moved from the WCLL COB reference design, purposely modified in compliance with the adopted thermal and mechanical ...
An overview of the US DCLL ITER-TBM program
Fusion Engineering and Design, 2010
Under the US Fusion Nuclear Science and Technology program, we selected the Dual Coolant Lead Lithium (DCLL) concept as our primary Test Blanket Module (TBM) for testing in ITER. The DCLL blanket concept has the potential to be a high-performance DEMO blanket design with a projected thermal efficiency of >40%. Reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAF/M) steel is used as the structural material. Helium is used to cool the first wall and blanket structure, and the self-cooled Pb-17Li breeder is circulated for power conversion and for tritium extraction. A SiC-based flow channel insert (FCI) is used as an electrical insulator for magnetohydrodynamic pressure drop reduction from the circulating Pb-17Li and as a thermal insulator to separate the high-temperature Pb-17Li (~650°C to 700°C) from the RAF/M structure, which has a corrosion temperature limit of ~480°C. The RAF/M material must also operate at temperatures above 350°C but less than 550°C. We are continuing the development of the mechanical design and performing neutronics, structural and thermal hydraulics analyses of the DCLL TBM module. Prototypical FCI structures were fabricated and further attention was paid to MHD effects and the design of the inboard blanket for DEMO. We are also making progress on related R&D needs to address key areas. This paper is a summary report on the progress and results of recent DCLL TBM development activities.
Progress on DCLL blanket concept
Technology Development program, we have selected the Dual Coolant Lead Lithium concept (DCLL) as a reference blanket, which has the potential to be a high performance DEMO blanket design with a projected thermal efficiency of >40%. Reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAF/M) steel is used as the structural material. The self-cooled breeder PbLi is circulated for power conversion and for tritium breeding. A SiC-based flow channel insert (FCI) is used as a means for magnetohydrodynamic pressure drop reduction from the circulating liquid PbLi and as a thermal insulator to separate the high-temperature PbLi (~700°C) from the helium-cooled RAF/M steel structure. We are making progress on related R&D needs to address critical Fusion Nuclear Science and Facility (FNSF) and DEMO blanket development issues. While performing the function as the Interface Coordinator for the DCLL blanket concept, we were developing the mechanical design and performing neutronics, structural and thermal hydraulics analyses of the DCLL TBM module. We estimated the necessary ancillary equipment that will be needed at the ITER site, and a detailed safety impact report was prepared. This provided additional understanding of the DCLL blanket concept in preparation for the FNSF and DEMO. This paper is a summary report on the progress of the DCLL TBM design and R&D for the DCLL blanket concept.
HCLL TBM design status and development
Fusion Engineering and Design, 2011
The Helium Cooled Lithium Lead Test Blanket Module (HCLL-TBM) is one of the two European TBMs, representative of DEMO blanket technology, that shall be ready for installation in ITER starting from the first day of operation. It is developed by the CEA in the framework of the activities of the Test Blanket Module Consortium of Associates and under contract with the European Joint Undertaking Fusion For Energy (F4E). A series of 4 different HCLL-TBMs will be installed into one of the ITER equatorial ports during the experimental campaign.
Fusion Engineering and Design, 2006
An attractive blanket concept for the fusion reactor is the dual coolant Pb-17Li liquid (DCLL) breeder design. Reduced activation ferritic steel (RAFS) is used as the structural material. Helium is used to cool the first wall and blanket structure, and the self-cooled breeder Pb-17Li is circulated for power conversion and for tritium breeding. A SiC f /SiC composite insert is used as the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) insulation to reduce the impact from the MHD pressure drop of the circulating Pb-17Li and as the thermal insulator to separate the high temperature Pb-17Li from the helium cooled RAFS structure. For the reference tokamak power reactor design, this blanket concept has the potential of satisfying the design limits of RAFS while allowing the feasibility of having a high Pb-17Li outlet temperature of 700 • C. We have identified critical issues for the concept, some of which include the first wall design, the assessment of MHD effects with the SiC-composite flow coolant insert, and the extraction and control of the bred tritium from the Pb-17Li breeder. R&D programs have been proposed to address these issues. At the same time we have proposed a test plan for the DCLL ITER-Test Blanket Module program.
Three-dimensional nuclear analysis for the US dual coolant lead lithium ITER test blanket module
Fusion Engineering and Design, 2010
Detailed 3-D neutronics calculations have been performed for the US DCLL TBM. The neutronics calculations were performed directly in the CAD model using the DAG-MCNP code that allows preserving the geometrical details. Detailed high-resolution, high-fidelity profiles of the nuclear parameters were generated using fine mesh tallies. These included tritium production, nuclear heating, and radiation damage. The TBM heterogeneity, exact source profile, and inclusion of the surrounding frame and other in-vessel components result in lower TBM nuclear parameters compared to the previous 1-D predictions. This work clearly demonstrates the importance of preserving geometrical details in nuclear analyses of geometrically complex components in fusion systems.
Fusion Engineering and Design, 2008
Through a consideration of the requirements for a DEMO-relevant blanket concept, Korea (KO) has proposed a He cooled molten lithium (HCML) blanket with ferritic steel (FS) as a structural material in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) program. The design and the performance of the KO HCML test blanket module (TBM) and the preliminary results of the safety analyses such as activation, decay heat, and accident analysis by a loss of coolant are introduced briefly in this paper. KO HCML TBM uses He as a coolant and Li is used as a tritium breeder by considering its potential advantages. Two layers of graphite are inserted as a reflector in the breeder zone to increase the tritium breeding ratio (TBR) and the shielding performances. Performance analyses were performed with the MCCARD code for the neutronics, the CFX-10 code for the thermal-hydraulics, and with the ANSYS-10 code for the thermal-mechanical analysis. For the safety analyses, the activation and decay heat were obtained from the MCCARD and Origen codes. From the obtained decay heat, an accident analysis was performed.