Parametric Analysis of Stress in the ICF HYLIFE Converter Structure

摘要

The concept of a liquid-metal first wall in an ICF energy converter has a particularly attractive feature: the liquid metal absorbs the short-ranged fusion energy and moderates and attenuates the neutron energy so that the converter structure may have a lifetime similar to that of a conventional power plant. However, the sudden deposition of fusion energy in the liquid-metal first wall will result in disassembly of the liquid, which then impacts on the structure. The impact pressure on the structure is a strong function of the location and thickness of the liquid-metal first wall. The impact stress is determined by the impact pressure and duration and by the thickness and location of the structure. The maximum allowable stress is determined by the design stress criteria chosen by the structural designer. Scaling laws for the impact pressure as a function of the liquid-metal first wall location and mass are presented for a 2700 MW(f) (fusion power) plant with either one or four fusion reactor vessels. A methodology for determining the optimum combination of liquid-metal first wall geometry and first-structural-wall thickness is shown. Based on the methodology developed, a parametric analysis is presented of the liquid-metal flow rate and first-structural-wall requirements. (ERA citation 05:039144)