RFP based Fusion-Fission Hybrid reactor model for nuclear applications

The Reversed Field Pinch (RFP) configuration looks to be an attractive option for fusion-fission hybrid reactors: the toroidal magnetic systems would be made of copper coils instead of more expensive superconductive magnets; fusion conditions could be reached by ohmic heating only, therefore additio...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Fusion engineering and design 2019-09, Vol.146, p.2725-2728
Main Authors: Bustreo, C., Agostinetti, P., Bettini, P., Casagrande, R., Cavazzana, R., Escande, D., Osipenko, M., Panza, F., Piovan, R., Puiatti, M.E., Ricco, G., Ripani, M., Valisa, M., Zollino, G., Zuin, M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Breeding blanket
Coils
Fast neutrons
Fusion-fission hybrid reactor
Fusion-fission hybrid reactors
Heating
Heating systems
Magnets
Maintenance
Neutron flux
Nuclear engineering
Nuclear fuel cladding
Nuclear fuels
Nuclear reactors
Nuclear safety
Plasma currents
Radioactive wastes
RFP
Superconductors
Toruses
Transmutation
Tritium
Viability
Zirconium
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The Reversed Field Pinch (RFP) configuration looks to be an attractive option for fusion-fission hybrid reactors: the toroidal magnetic systems would be made of copper coils instead of more expensive superconductive magnets; fusion conditions could be reached by ohmic heating only, therefore additional heating systems would not be required; the fission blanket could be located in the most external part of the torus thus facilitating maintenance operations. The paper aims at assessing the potentialities, such as fuel fertilization and/or nuclear waste transmutation and electricity production of a hybrid reactor with a RFP fusion core (R = 6 m, a = 1) whose conceptual design and plasma performances are based on RFX-mod, the largest RFP experiment currently in operation. Fusion conditions can be reached by heating a D-T plasma up to 9.6 keV by ohmic heating, generated by a 20 MA plasma current induced and sustained by flux swing only. The neutron flux (2.1 × 1013 fast neutron/cm2/s) is used to breed tritium in both the inner and outer blanket sections and induce fission reactions in dedicated areas in the external blanket section where Pu + MA (60%)-Zr (40%) rods are located. Both neutronic and safety analyses corroborate the viability of a FFH reactor with a RFP core.
ISSN:0920-3796
1873-7196
DOI:10.1016/j.fusengdes.2019.05.006