Development of fusion blanket technology for the DEMO reactor

• Published in: Applied radiation and isotopes 2012-07, Vol.70 (7), p.1370-1372
• Main Authors: Colling, B.R., Monk, S.D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: DEMO; Energy; Fusion; Indexing in process; Lithium; Tritium
• ISSN: 0969-8043; 1872-9800
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2011.11.006

The viability of various materials and blanket designs for use in nuclear fusion reactors can be tested using computer simulations and as parts of the test blanket modules within the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) facility. The work presented here focuses on blanket model simulations using the Monte Carlo simulation package MCNPX (Computational Physics Division Los Alamos National Laboratory, 2010) and FISPACT (Forrest, 2007) to evaluate the tritium breeding capability of a number of solid and liquid breeding materials. The liquid/molten salt breeders are found to have the higher tritium breeding ratio (TBR) and are to be considered for further analysis of the self sufficiency timing. ► Use of lithium compounds for tritium fuel breeding in fusion blanket technology. ► Liquid breeders have a higher tritium breeding ratio than solid breeders in this MCNP simulation. ► Solid breeder blankets will need to be replaced periodically. ► Liquid breeders can be replenished with lithium and purified whilst the reactor is operational.