Basic concepts of DEMO and a design of a helium-cooled molten lithium blanket for a testing in ITER

Abstract

Basic concepts and the performance of DEMO for an early realization have been investigated with a limited extension of its plasma physics and technology from the second phase of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) operation (EPP phase). With the same plasma size as that of ITER, net electric power up to 600 MW is possible with beta(N) > 4.0, H> 1.0 and a divertor heat load of H-div < 15 MW/m(2). Through a consideration of the requirements for a DEMO-relevant blanket concept, Korea has proposed a He cooled molten lithium (HCML) blanket as an ITER TBM. It uses He as a coolant and Li is used as a tritium breeder by considering its potential advantages. Low activation Ferritic Steel (FS) is used as a structural material and two layers of graphite are inserted as a reflector in the breeder zone to increase the tritium breeding ratio (TBR) and the shielding performances. The design and the performance of the KO HCML test blanket module (TBM) are being modified in terms of its He coolant efficiency and its optimized path with a performance analysis; with a 3D Monte Carlo analysis (MCCARD code) for the neutronics; with the CFD code (CFX-10) for the thermal-hydraulics; with ANSYS-10 for the thermo-mechanical analysis. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.