ARC reactor: Radioactivity safety assessment and preliminary environmental impact study

Zucchetti, Massimo; Hartwig, Zachary; Meschini, Samuele; Segantin, Stefano; Testoni, Raffaella; Whyte, D.G.

doi:10.1016/j.fusengdes.2020.112132

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…We consider it highly unlikely that we can attain TBR > 1.3; extremely challenging but possible to attain TBR = 1.2-1.3, challenging but reasonable to expect that we can attain TBR = 1.1-1.2, and very possible to achieve TBR < 1.1. The lowest value of TBE considered, 0.5%, might be a realistic value for the first generation of ARCclass tokamaks [77], but will require fast processing times and high TBR to achieve tritium self-sufficiency. For low values of TBE, t p has a large impact on TBR r and I startup because most of the injected tritium is exhausted from the vacuum boundary and processed in the IFC.…”

Section: Tbementioning

confidence: 99%

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Modeling and analysis of the tritium fuel cycle for ARC- and STEP-class D-T fusion power plants

Meschini,

Ferry,

Delaporte-Mathurin

et al. 2023

Nucl. Fusion

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The limited tritium resources available for the first fusion power plants (FPPs) make fuel self-sufficiency and tritium inventory minimization leading issues in FPP design. This work builds on the model proposed by M. Abdou et al. \cite{abdou2020physics}, which analyzed the fuel cycle of a DEMO-class FPP with a time-dependent system-level model. Here, we use a modified version of their model to analyze the fuel cycle of an ARC-class tokamak and two versions of a STEP-class tokamak. The ARC-class tokamak breeds tritium in a FLiBe liquid immersion blanket (LIB), while the STEP-class tokamak breeds tritium utilizing either a liquid-lithium blanket design or an Encapsulated Breeding Blanket (EBB). A time-dependent system-level model is developed in Matlab Simulink~\textregistered\hspace{.2em} to simulate the evolution of tritium flows and tritium inventories in the fuel cycle. The main goals of this work are to assess tritium self-sufficiency of the ARC- and STEP-class designs and to determine quantitative design requirements that can be used to analyze the adequacy of a proposed fuel cycle system. These design requirements are aimed at achieving a low tritium inventory doubling time ($t_d$) and a low start-up inventory ($I_{\mathrm{startup}}$) while keeping the required tritium breeding ratio (TBR$_r$) as low as possible. We also consider how improvements in fuel cycle technology and plasma operations affect TBR$_r$ and $I_{\mathrm{startup}}$. The model results show that TBR$_r$ for ARC- and STEP-class FPPs should be achievable if the tritium burn efficiency (TBE) reaches 0.5-1\% (TBR$_r <$ 1.2). This assumes significant, but attainable, improvements over current abilities. However, the model results indicate that a FPP must achieve ambitious performance targets, including FPP availability $>$70\%, tritium processing time $<$4~h, and the implementation of direct internal recycling. If future research yields major improvements to achievable TBE, it may be possible to achieve tritium self-sufficiency while operating at lower availability and without implementing DIR.

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Section: Tbementioning

confidence: 99%

“…A preliminary analysis suggests that TBE = 1%-3% for ARC [77]. The non-radioactive loss fraction is set to 10 −4 as in [1].…”

Section: Arc-class Tokamak Model Parametersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling and analysis of the tritium fuel cycle for ARC- and STEP-class D-T fusion power plants

Meschini,

Ferry,

Delaporte-Mathurin

et al. 2023

Nucl. Fusion

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“…A fusion facility must aim to operate without posing any public health or environmental risks by including radioactivity safety and environmental impact in its operational analysis. Thus, the primary consideration when developing fusion facilities must include material handling, material activation, and site selection [82]. One way that can allow the handling of nuclear materials including waste is through careful evaluation of the materials' response to the environment as well as to the handlers.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For instance, additional attention must be given when handling tritiated waste and unique materials such as beryllium [83]. The containment of the building surrounding the reactor is essential to eliminate the necessity for emergency plans involving population evacuation or sheltering [82]. Thus, the challenges are around establishing a safe working culture, device design, and facility operation.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Global Development and Readiness of Nuclear Fusion Technology as the Alternative Source for Clean Energy Supply

Mohamed,

Zakuan,

Tengku Hassan

et al. 2024

Sustainability

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Nuclear fusion is understood as an energy reaction that does not emit greenhouse gases, and it has been considered as a long-term source of low-carbon electricity that is favourable to curtail rapid climate change. Fusion offers a pathway to resolve energy security and the unequal distribution of energy resources since seawater is its ultimate fuel source and a few grams of fuel can generate mega kilowatts of power. The development and testing of new materials and technologies are unceasing to achieve the net fusion energy through national and international collaboration as well as private partnerships. The ever-growing number of research works report various designs and magnet-based fusion devices, such as stellarators, lasers, and tokamaks. This article provides an overview on the utilization of nuclear energy as a clean energy source, as well as the strategies and progress towards establishing successful commercial fusion energy to the grid and transition to a reliable clean energy source. The overview focuses on the fusion nuclear development in five major countries, UK, US, China, Japan, and Russia. Identified technical and financial challenges are also described at the end of this article. The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) has been an international reference program for fusion energy development and most developed countries with nuclear development capacity are aiming to complete their in-house fusion energy facilities in parallel to ITER. Many fusion programs are finishing the conceptual design and shifting into the phase of engineering design for the planned DEMO fusion facilities. The significant challenges were identified from the perspective of device efficiency and robustness, sustainable funding, and facility maintenance and safety, which must be addressed diligently to realize fusion energy as alternative clean energy that mitigates climate change and supports the goals of energy security.

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ARC reactor: A preliminary tritium environmental impact study

Meschini

Testoni

Segantin

et al. 2021

Fusion Engineering and Design

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ARC reactor: Radioactivity safety assessment and preliminary environmental impact study

Cited by 5 publications

References 12 publications

Modeling and analysis of the tritium fuel cycle for ARC- and STEP-class D-T fusion power plants

Modeling and analysis of the tritium fuel cycle for ARC- and STEP-class D-T fusion power plants

Global Development and Readiness of Nuclear Fusion Technology as the Alternative Source for Clean Energy Supply

ARC reactor: A preliminary tritium environmental impact study

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