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Effect of using various grades of plutonium in the protective liquid wall of an IFE type fusion reactor

  • M. Übeyli
Published/Copyright: April 5, 2013
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Kerntechnik
From the journal Kerntechnik Volume 74 Issue 1-2

Abstract

One of the main issues in a fusion reactor is the need for the frequent replacement of first wall structures during its lifetime. In order to eliminate this problem completely, use of a protective liquid wall between the fusion plasma and solid first wall has been proposed by various researchers. One of the major fusion energy reactor designs is called HYLIFE-II, an inertial fusion energy (IFE) type reactor that also utilizes such a flowing liquid wall to extend the lifetime of the first wall to its lifetime. This study presents the neutronic analysis of the HYLIFE-II reactor using Li2BeF4 (Flibe) with various grades of plutonium as a flowing liquid wall. For this purpose, four different coolants containing Flibe with 0.5 % or 1 % of weapon grade (WG) PuF4 and Flibe with 0.5 % or 1 % reactor grade (RG) PuF4 were considered. Main neutronic parameters: tritium breeding ratio (TBR), energy multiplication factor (M) and radiation damage at the first wall were computed with respect to the liquid wall thickness and coolant type. The highest TBR and M values were reached when the Flibe with 1 % WG PuF4 was used in the liquid wall.

Kurzfassung

Eines der Hauptmerkmale bei einem Fusionsreaktor ist die Notwendigkeit einer häufigen Erneuerung der Strukturen der ersten Wand während der Laufzeit des Reaktors. Um dieses Problem völlig auszuschalten wurde von einer Reihe von Forschern vorgeschlagen, eine flüssige Schutzwand zwischen dem Fusionsplasma und der ersten festen Wand zu verwenden. Eine der wesentlichen Ausgestaltungen von Fusionsreaktoren ist das HYLIFE-II Design, die Energiegewinnung durch Trägheitsfusion (Inertial Fusion Energy – IFE). Dieser Reaktor verwendet auch eine flüssige Wand, um die Lebensdauer der ersten Wand bis zum Ende der Laufzeit des Reaktors zu verlängern. Die vorliegende Studie stellt die neutronische Analyse des HYLIFE-II Reaktors vor unter Verwendung von Lithiumsalz, Li2BeF4 (Flibe), und Plutonium verschiedener Qualität als flüssige Wand. Zu diesem Zweck werden vier verschiedene Kühlmittel betrachtet, die Flibe mit 0,5 % oder 1 % waffenfähigem Plutonium, (WG) PuF4, und Flibe mit 0,5 % oder 1 % reaktorfähigem Plutonium, (RG) PuF4, enthalten. Die wichtigsten neutronischen Parameter, das Tritium Brutverhältnis (TBR), der Energiemultiplikationsfaktor (M) und die Strahlenschäden an der ersten Wand wurden berechnet in Bezug auf die Dicke der flüssigen Wand und das verwendete Kühlmittel. Die besten TBR und M Werte wurden erreicht, wenn Flibe mit 1 % WG PuF4 in der flüssigen Wand verwendet wurde.

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Received: 2008-11-10
Published Online: 2013-04-05
Published in Print: 2009-04-01

© 2009, Carl Hanser Verlag, München

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Contents/Inhalt
  2. Contents
  3. Summaries/Kurzfassungen
  4. Summaries
  5. Technical Contributions/Fachbeiträge
  6. AVR prototype pebble bed reactor: a safety re-evaluation of its operation and consequences for future reactors
  7. Design Concept of the High Performance Light Water Reactor
  8. Behavior of CANDU fuel under power pulse conditions at the TRIGA reactor of INR Pitesti
  9. Plate heat exchanger – inertia flywheel performance in loss of flow transient
  10. Performance analyses of the communication networks of a modern supervision and control system of research reactors
  11. Thermal analytical model for MoO3 ampoules irradiated in a high neutron flux
  12. Effect of using various grades of plutonium in the protective liquid wall of an IFE type fusion reactor
  13. A discrete ordinates scheme for void fraction evaluation with nonstandard reflective conditions and weakly divergent beams
  14. Application of the Laplace transform method for the albedo boundary conditions in multigroup neutron diffusion eigenvalue problems in slab geometry
  15. Modified Chebyshev polynomial (UN) approximation in the neutron transport theory and computation of critical half thicknesses
  16. Optimizing the dynamic response of the H. B. Robinson nuclear plant using multiobjective particle swarm optimization
  17. Assessment for inside building dispersion of aerosol from an outdoor radiological release
  18. Technical Notes/Technische Mitteilungen
  19. Analysis of a steam generator tube rupture under realistic initial and boundary conditions
https://doi.org/10.3139/124.110007

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Contents/Inhalt
  2. Contents
  3. Summaries/Kurzfassungen
  4. Summaries
  5. Technical Contributions/Fachbeiträge
  6. AVR prototype pebble bed reactor: a safety re-evaluation of its operation and consequences for future reactors
  7. Design Concept of the High Performance Light Water Reactor
  8. Behavior of CANDU fuel under power pulse conditions at the TRIGA reactor of INR Pitesti
  9. Plate heat exchanger – inertia flywheel performance in loss of flow transient
  10. Performance analyses of the communication networks of a modern supervision and control system of research reactors
  11. Thermal analytical model for MoO3 ampoules irradiated in a high neutron flux
  12. Effect of using various grades of plutonium in the protective liquid wall of an IFE type fusion reactor
  13. A discrete ordinates scheme for void fraction evaluation with nonstandard reflective conditions and weakly divergent beams
  14. Application of the Laplace transform method for the albedo boundary conditions in multigroup neutron diffusion eigenvalue problems in slab geometry
  15. Modified Chebyshev polynomial (UN) approximation in the neutron transport theory and computation of critical half thicknesses
  16. Optimizing the dynamic response of the H. B. Robinson nuclear plant using multiobjective particle swarm optimization
  17. Assessment for inside building dispersion of aerosol from an outdoor radiological release
  18. Technical Notes/Technische Mitteilungen
  19. Analysis of a steam generator tube rupture under realistic initial and boundary conditions
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