Engineering Design of a Direct-Cycle Steam-Generating Blanket for a Long-Pulse Fusion Reactor

摘要

A comprehensive neutronics, thermohydraulic, and mechanical design of a tritium-breeding blanket for use by a conceptual long-pulse Reversed-Field Pinch Reactor (RFPR) is described. On the basis of constraints imposed by cost and the desire to use existing technology, a direct-cycle steam system and stainless-steel construction were used. For reasons of plasma stability, the RFPR blanket supports a 20-mm-thick copper first wall. Located behind the 1.5-m-radius first wall is a 0.50-m-thick stainless-steel blanket containing a granular bed of Li sub 2 O through which flows low-pressure helium (0.1 MPa) for tritium extraction. Water/steam tubes radially penetrate this packed bed. The large thermal capacity and low thermal diffusivity of the Li sub 2 O blanket are sufficient to maintain a nearly constant temperature during the approx. 25-s burn period (approx. 80% duty factor). (ERA citation 04:047958)