Analysis of Time-Dependent Tritium Breeding Capability of Water Cooled Ceramic Breeder Blanket for CFETR

Attaining tritium self-sufficiency is an important mission for the Chinese Fusion Engineering Testing Reactor(CFETR) operating on a Deuterium-Tritium(D-T) fuel cycle. It is necessary to study the tritium breeding ratio(TBR) and breeding tritium inventory variation with operation time so as to provide an accurate data for dynamic modeling and analysis of the tritium fuel cycle. A water cooled ceramic breeder(WCCB) blanket is one candidate of blanket concepts for the CFETR. Based on the detailed 3D neutronics model of CFETR with the WCCB blanket,the time-dependent TBR and tritium surplus were evaluated by a coupling calculation of the Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code(MCNP) and the fusion activation code FISPACT-2007.The results indicated that the TBR and tritium surplus of the WCCB blanket were a function of operation time and fusion power due to the Li consumption in breeder and material activation.In addition, by comparison with the results calculated by using the 3D neutronics model and employing the transfer factor constant from 1D to 3D, it is noted that 1D analysis leads to an over-estimation for the time-dependent tritium breeding capability when fusion power is larger than 1000 MW.     

Neutronics Comparison Analysis of the Water Cooled Ceramics Breeding Blanket for CFETR

China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor(CFETR) is an ITER-like fusion engineering test reactor that is intended to fill the scientific and technical gaps between ITER and DEMO.One of the main missions of CFETR is to achieve a tritium breeding ratio that is no less than 1.2to ensure tritium self-sufficiency.A concept design for a water cooled ceramics breeding blanket(WCCB) is presented based on a scheme with the breeder and the multiplier located in separate panels for CFETR.Based on this concept,a one-dimensional(1D) radial built breeding blanket was first designed,and then several three-dimensional models were developed with various neutron source definitions and breeding blanket module arrangements based on the 1D radial build.A set of nuclear analyses have been carried out to compare the differences in neutronics characteristics given by different calculation models,addressing neutron wall loading(NWL),tritium breeding ratio(TBR),fast neutron flux on inboard side and nuclear heating deposition on main in-vessel components.The impact of differences in modeling on the nuclear performance has been analyzed and summarized regarding the WCCB concept design.     

Neutronics Analysis of Water-Cooled Ceramic Breeder Blanket for CFETR

In order to investigate the nuclear response to the water-cooled ceramic breeder blanket models for CFETR, a detailed 3D neutronics model with 22.5otorus sector was developed based on the integrated geometry of CFETR, including heterogeneous WCCB blanket models,shield, divertor, vacuum vessel, toroidal and poloidal magnets, and ports. Using the Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code MCNP5 and IAEA Fusion Evaluated Nuclear Data Library FENDL2.1,the neutronics analyses were performed. The neutron wall loading, tritium breeding ratio, the nuclear heating, neutron-induced atomic displacement damage, and gas production were determined.The results indicate that the global TBR of no less than 1.2 will be a big challenge for the watercooled ceramic breeder blanket for CFETR.     

超临界水冷固态实验包层中子学与热工水力特性研究

基于国际热核聚变实验堆(ITER)实验包层方案,提出了一个超临界水冷固态实验包层概念设计方案。设计采用Be作为中子倍增剂,Li4SiO4作为氚增殖剂,CLAM钢作为结构材料。包层第一壁采用多层盘道设计以提高第一壁出口温度,内部采用增殖剂与中子倍增剂分层布置以提高热沉积与氚增殖率。为验证包层设计的可行性,分析计算了三维包层氚增殖率与热沉积的分布,然后根据中子学计算得到的结果对超临界水冷固态实验包层进行了数值模拟研究。结果表明:包层功率密度分布较合理;氚增殖率满足运行中氚自持的要求;在冷却剂出口温度达到500℃条件下材料温度不超过限值。该设计方案能满足中子学设计与热工水力的要求。     

中国氦冷固态实验包层2×6模块中子学计算分析

为了满足ITER对波纹度的要求,核工业西南物理研究院提出了新的减少低活化铁素体钢的氦冷固态（HCSB）实验包层模块（TBM）设计方案。采用MCNP程序及ITER全堆MCNP模型,对新设计的2×6HCSB-TBM进行三维中子学计算分析,给出了模块产氚率、核热沉积和功率密度分布等结果。在ITER运行因子为22%时,HCSB-TBM的产氚率为12.68mg/d。TBM内总核热沉积为522.5kW,最高功率密度为11.8W/cm³,出现在氚增殖区Li₄SiO₄中。计算结果可为TBM进一步的结构、热工水力学优化及其他系统设计提供中子学数据。     

CFETR水冷陶瓷增殖剂包层模块产氚率实验验证

水冷陶瓷增殖剂（WCCB）包层作为中国聚变工程试验堆（CFETR）候选包层之一，承担着氚增殖、核热提取、屏蔽等重要涉核功能，其中子学设计的可靠性直接影响CFETR氚自持目标的实现。为验证中子学设计工具，即MCNP和FNEDL3.0数据库，在WCCB包层中子学设计中的可靠性，基于研制出的WCCB包层模块，在DT中子环境下开展中子学实验，对以产氚率（TPR）为代表的中子学参数进行了模拟值（C）和实验值（E）对比分析。结果表明，模块中轴线位置处TPR的C/E为0.97?1.08，而模块边缘位置处TPR的C/E为0.65?0.82；模块钛酸锂层边缘区197Au（n，γ）198Au反应率的C/E为0.72?0.90，表明模块边缘区存在非期望的散射中子，导致该区TPR模拟值和实验值偏离较大。     

Thermal Hydraulic Design and Analysis of a Water-Cooled Ceramic Breeder Blanket with Superheated Steam for CFETR

The water-cooled ceramic breeder blanket (WCCB) is one of the blanket candidates for China fusion engineering test reactor (CFETR). In order to improve power generation efficiency and tritium breeding ratio, WCCB with superheated steam is under development. The thermal-hydraulic design is the key to achieve the purpose of safe heat removal and efficient power generation under normal and partial loading operation conditions. In this paper, the coolant flow scheme was designed and one self-developed analytical program was developed, based on a theoretical heat transfer model and empirical correlations. Employing this program, the design and analysis of related thermal-hydraulic parameters were performed under different fusion power conditions. The results indicated that the superheated steam water-cooled blanket is feasible.     

Neutronic analysis of Indian helium-cooled solid breeder tritium breeding module for testing in ITER

India has proposed the helium-cooled solid breeder blanket concept as a tritium breeding module to be tested in ITER. The module has lithium titanate for tritium breeding and beryllium for neutron multiplication. Beryllium also enhances tritium breeding. A design for the module is prepared for detailed analysis. Neutronic analysis is performed to assess the tritium breeding rate, neutron distribution, and heat distribution in the module. The tritium production distribution in submodules is evaluated to support the tritium transport analysis. The tritium breeding density in the radial direction of the module is also assessed for further optimization of the design. The heat deposition profile of the entire module is generated to support the heat removal circuit design. The estimated neutron spectrum in the radial direction also provides a more in-depth picture of the nuclear interactions inside the material zones. The total tritium produced in the HCSB module is around 13.87 mg per full day of operation of ITER, considering the 400 s ON time and 1400 s dwell time. The estimated nuclear heat load on the entire module is around 474 kW, which will be removed by the high-pressure helium cooling circuit. The heat deposition in the test blanket model (TBM) is huge (around 9 GJ) for an entire day of operation of ITER, which demonstrates the scale of power that can be produced through a fusion reactor blanket. As per the Brayton cycle, it is equivalent to 3.6 GJ of electrical energy. In terms of power production, this would be around 1655 MWh annually. The evaluation is carried out using the MCNP5 Monte Carlo radiation transport code and FEDNL 2.1 nuclear cross section data. The HCSB TBM neutronic performance demonstrates the tritium production capability and high heat deposition.     

CFETR氦冷陶瓷增殖包层中子学分析

为满足中国聚变工程实验堆(CFETR)包层的应用要求,本文提出氦冷陶瓷增殖(HCCB)包层方案。为验证HCCB包层设计方案的合理性与可行性,采用三维蒙特卡罗粒子输运程序MCNP,计算和分析了HCCB包层方案的氚增殖比、中子壁负载、中子通量密度、核热、辐照损伤等中子学特性。结果表明,HCCB包层方案满足氚自持要求,中子通量密度和核热分布合理,屏蔽性能良好,基本满足设计要求。     

Development of the Water Cooled Ceramic Breeder Test Blanket Module in Japan

The development of a Water Cooled Ceramic Breeder (WCCB) Test Blanket Module (TBM) is being performed as one of the most important steps toward DEMO blanket in Japan. For the TBM testing and evaluation toward DEMO blanket, the module fabrication technology development by a candidate structural material, reduced activation martensitic/ferritic steel, F82H, is one of the most critical items from the viewpoint of realization of TBM testing in ITER. In Japan, fabrication of a real scale first wall, side walls, a breeder pebble bed box and assembling of the first wall and side walls have succeeded. Recently, the real scale partial mockup of the back wall was fabricated. The fabrication procedure of the back wall, whose thickness is up to 90 mm, was confirmed toward the fabrication of the real scale back wall by F82H. Important key technologies are almost clarified for the fabrication of the real scale TBM module mockup. From the view point of testing and evaluation, development of the technology of the blanket tritium recovery, development of advanced breeder and multiplier pebbles and the development of the blanket neutronics measurement technology are also performed. Also, tritium production and recovery test using D-T neutron in the Fusion Neutronics Source (FNS) facility has been started as the verification test of tritium production performance. This paper overviews the recent achievements of the development of the WCCB TBM in Japan.     

LiPb自冷混合堆包层中子学研究

研究了ＬｉＰｂ自冷托卡马克混合堆包层的中子学性能；第一壁材料和厚度对中子学性能的影响；Ｐｂ和Ｂｅ的中子增益性能以及包层中功率密度和２３９Ｐｕ的分布，并对中子学性能进行了优化。当聚变功率为２００ＭＷ，运行因子为０．３时，除氚自给外，每年可生产２３９Ｐｕ１３０ｋｇ。     

Impact Analysis of Helium Cooled Solid Blanket Structures on the Tritium Breeding Performance in CFETR

Chinese Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) is a test tokamak reactor to bridge the gap between ITER and future fusion power plant. As its objectives are to demonstrate generation of fusion power and to realize tritium self-sufficiency, the tritium breeding ratio (TBR) is a key design parameter. In the blanket design and optimization, the structures such as the first wall (FW), cooling plate (CP), stiffening plate (SP), cap and some other design parameters in detailed 3-D model have significant impacts on the tritium breeding performance. Based on a helium cooled solid breeder blanket option for CFETR, the impact analysis of the helium cooled solid blanket structures on tritium breeding performance was performed in this paper. Firstly, the detailed 3D neutronics model was built by using of a CAD to Monte Carlo Geometry conversion tool McCad. Then based on the detailed 3D neutronics model, the impact analyses of the blanket structures on tritium breeding performance were carried out, which include the FW, CP, SP, cap and side wall. By the sensitivity study of the blanket structures on the TBR, it gave the TBR variation trend and references for the blanket design and optimization.     

Activation and Environmental Aspects of In-Vacuum Vessel Components of CFETR

The water-cooled ceramic breeder(WCCB) blanket is one of the three candidates of China's Fusion Engineering Test Reactor(CFETR). The evaluation of the radioactivity and decay heat produced by neutrons for the in-vacuum vessel components is essential for the assessment of radioactive wastes and the safety of CFETR. The activation calculation of CFETR in-vacuum vessel components was carried out by using the Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code MCNP, IAEA Fusion Evaluated Nuclear Data Library FENDL2.1, and the nuclear inventory code FISPACT-2007 and corresponding EAF-2007 libraries. In these analyses, the three-dimensional(3-D) neutronics model was employed and the WCCB blanket, the divertor, and the shield were modeled in detail to provide the detailed spatial distribution of the neutron flux and energy spectra. Then the neutron flux, energy spectra and the materials specification were transferred to FISPACT for the activation calculation with an assumed irradiation scenario of CFETR. This paper presents the main results of the activation analysis to evaluate the radioactivity, the decay heat, the contact dose, and the waste classification of the radioactive materials. At the time of shutdown, the activity of the WCCB blanket is 1.88×10~(19)Bq and the specific activity, the decay heat and the contact dose rate are 1.7×10~(13)Bq/kg, 3.05 MW, and 2.0×10~3Sv/h respectively. After cooling for 100 years, 79%(4166.4 tons) radioactive wastes produced from the blanket, divertor,high temperature shield(HTS) and low temperature shield(LTS) need near surface disposal, while21%(1112.3 tons) need geological disposal. According to results of the contact dose rate, all the components of the blanket, divertor, HTS and LTS could potentially be recycled after shutdown by using advanced remote handling equipment. In addition, the selection of Eurofer97 or RAFM for the divertor is better than that of SS316 because SS316 makes the activity of the divertor-body keep at a relatively high level.     

Flow Distribution Analysis of Water-Cooled Solid Breeder Test Blanket Module

Blanket system is one of the most important systems in a fusion reactor, which plays an important role in heat removing, radiation shielding and tritium breeding. Water-cooled ceramic breeder (WCCB) blanket module (BM) is one of tritium breeding blanket module concepts for Chinese Fusion Engineering Testing Reactor. According to the preliminary design of WCCB BM, there are complicated cascade and parallel cooling channels, in which maybe exists the nonuniform distribution of flow rate, and resulting adverse effect on heat transfer and safety. In this paper, the whole model of one BM is built by thermal hydraulic analytical code named Relap 5 and the flow distribution issue of water-cooled solid breeder (WCSB) test blanket module (TBM) is analyzed. The systematic analysis results show that the flow rate differences of most parts of the WCSB TBM are less than 4 % in a steady state. Start-up, operational transient and loss of flow accident are also studied, and flow instability in these transient cases is found and needs for further analysis. Three dimensional local model of First Wall is also built by CFX, to investigate flow characteristics at partial WCSB TBM, which shows that flow distribution calculated by CFX is consistent with the results from the thermal hydraulic analytical code. Both of the results of the steady state and transient analysis show that the thermal hydraulic analytical code is appropriate in analyzing the flow distribution and transient issue from the systematic view.     

中国聚变工程试验堆包层的核热耦合效应研究

本文以中国聚变工程试验堆（CFETR）的氦冷固态包层和水冷固态包层为研究对象,基于蒙特卡罗程序MCNP和计算流体力学程序FLUENT,利用3D-1D-2D耦合方法和伪材料方法,分别对200 MW的氦冷固态包层和水冷固态包层及1.5 GW的水冷固态包层方案进行了核热耦合计算分析。研究结果表明,金属铍的热散射效应和轻水密度是聚变包层核热耦合效应的主要来源,核热耦合效应对氦冷固态包层的影响可忽略,对水冷固态包层的氚增殖比和温度分布有一定程度的影响。     

CFETR氦冷固态增殖剂包层产氚性能研究及优化

氦冷固态增殖剂包层是中国聚变工程实验堆（CFETR）的3种候选包层概念之一。本文基于中国核工业西南物理研究院提出的一种氦冷固态增殖剂包层概念,通过蒙特卡罗输运程序MCNP5建立了包层三维中子学模型,探究了不同几何布置方案及结构设计参数对包层产氚性能的影响,得到了全堆氚增殖比（TBR）及极向各包层模块产氚分布,并由优化后的模型得到了包层模块核热分布。结果表明,优化后的TBR达到1.177,满足氚自持的最低要求。     

Effect of Nuclear Data Libraries on Tritium Breeding in a (D–T) Fusion Driven Reactor

In design a Deuterium–Tritium (D–T) fusion driven hybrid reactor, neutronics and nuclear data libraries have an essential role for reliable neutronics calculations. Therefore, nuclear data libraries are very important to calculate of the neutronic parameters and selection of tritium breeder materials to be used in the blanket. In this study tritium breeding performances of candidate tritium breeding materials, namely, Li₂O, LiH, Li₂TiO₃, Li₂ZrO₃ and Li₄SiO₄ in a (D–T) driven fusion–fission (hybrid) reactor is investigated based on three dimensional (3-D) and one dimensional (1-D) neutronic calculations. 3-D and 1-D neutron transport calculations are performed with Monte Carlo transport code (MCNP 4C), SCALE 5 and ANISN nuclear data codes to determine the tritium breeding ratio (TBR) of the blanket. The effects of different nuclear data libraries on TBR are examined and TBR calculation results are comparatively investigated.     

Preliminary design of a helium cooled molten lithium test blanket module for the ITER test in Korea

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 preliminary design and its performance of KO HCML test blanket module (TBM) are introduced in this paper. It uses He as a coolant at an inlet temperature of 300 °C and an outlet temperature up to 400 °C 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. A 3-D Monte Carlo analysis is performed with the MCCARD code for the neutronics and the total TBM power is designed to be 0.739 MW at a normal heat flux from the plasma side. From the analysis results with CFX-10 for the thermal-hydraulics, the He cooling path is determined and it shows that the maximum temperature of the first wall does not exceed 550 °C at the structural materials and the coolant velocities are 45 and 11.5 m/s in the first wall and breeding zone, respectively. The obtained temperature data is used in the thermal-mechanical analysis with ANSYS-10. The maximum von Mises equivalent stress of the first wall is 123 MPa and the maximum deformation of it is 3.73 mm, which is lower than the maximum allowable stress.     

高氚增殖比包层的设计及热工水力分析

本文设计了一种高氚增殖比包层(HBRB),该包层采用多孔U-10Zr合金作为中子倍增剂,Li4SiO4球床作为增殖剂,低活化马氏体(RAFM)钢作为结构材料。在详细研究包层加工工艺、流量分配、中子性能等问题的基础上,完成了包层内部详细结构设计。利用中子学软件分析计算了包层的氚增殖比(TBR)和热沉积分布,并根据计算结果对包层进行热力耦合分析。结果表明:包层TBR较高,且核性能稳定;冷却剂的流量分配情况和压降合理;包层内各组件冷却充分,温度和结构材料热应力不超过限值。     

R&D status on Water Cooled Ceramic Breeder Blanket Technology

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) is performing the development of a Water Cooled Ceramic Breeder (WCCB) Test Blanket Module (TBM) as one of the most important steps toward DEMO blanket. Regarding the blanket module fabrication technology development using F82H, the fabrication of a real scale mockup of the back wall of TBM was completed. In the design activity of the TBM, electromagnetic analysis under plasma disruption events and thermo-mechanical analysis under steady state and transient state of tokamak operation have been performed and showed bright prospect toward design justification. Regarding the development of advanced breeder and multiplier pebbles for DEMO blanket, fabrication technology development of Li rich Li₂TiO₃ pebble and BeTi pebble was performed. Regarding the research activity on the evaluation of tritium generation performance, the evaluation of tritium production and recovery test using D-T neutron in the Fusion Neutronics Source (FNS) facility has been performed. This paper overviews the recent achievements of the development of the WCCB Blanket in JAEA.