Conceptual design study for heat exhaust management in the ARC fusion pilot plant

Kuang, Adam; Cao, N. M.; Creely, A. J.; Dennett, Cody A.; Hecla, Jake; LaBombard, B.; Tinguely, R. A.; Tolman, Elizabeth A.; Hoffman, Holger; Major, M.; Ruiz, J. Ruiz; Brunner, D.; Grover, Piyush; Laughman, Christopher R.; Sorbom, Brandon; Whyte, D.G.

doi:10.1016/j.fusengdes.2018.09.007

Cited by 70 publications

(89 citation statements)

References 79 publications

(120 reference statements)

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“…This is the basis for the ARC fusion concept. 1,2 It is a one-time improvement. With REBCO magnets, the maximum magnetic fields that can be generated are limited by the strength of the materials holding the magnets together-not by the ability to generate magnetic fields.…”

Section: Arc Fusion Power Plantmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fusion Blankets and Fluoride-Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactors with Flibe Salt Coolant: Common Challenges, Tritium Control, and Opportunities for Synergistic Development Strategies Between Fission, Fusion, and Solar Salt Technologies

et al. 2019

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Recent developments in high-magnetic-field fusion systems have created large incentives to develop flibe (Li 2 BeF 4) salt fusion blankets that have four functions: (1) convert the high energy of fusion neutrons into heat for the power system, (2) convert lithium into tritium-the fusion fuel, (3) shield the magnets against radiation, and (4) cool the first wall that separates the plasma from the salt blanket. Flibe is the same coolant proposed for fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature reactors that use clean flibe coolant and graphite-matrix coated-particle fuel. Flibe is also the coolant proposed for some molten salt reactors (MSRs) where the fuel is dissolved in the coolant. The multiple applications for flibe as a coolant create large incentives for cooperative fusion-fission programs for development of the underlying science, design tools, technology (pumps, instrumentation, salt purification, materials, tritium removal, etc.), and supply chains. Other high-temperature molten salts are being developed for alternative MSR systems and for advanced Gen-III concentrated solar power (CSP) systems. The overlapping characteristics of flibe salt with these other salt systems create significant incentives for cooperative fusion-fission-solar programs in multiple areas. We describe the fission and fusion flibe-cooled systems, what has created this synergism, what is different and the same between fission and fusion in terms of using flibe, and the common challenges. We review (1) the characteristics of flibe salts, (2) the status of the technology, (3) the options for tritium capture and control in the salt, heat exchangers, and secondary heat transfer loops, and (4) the coupling to power cycles with heat storage. The technology overlap between flibe systems and other high-temperature MSR and CSP salt systems is described. This defines where there are opportunities for cooperative programs across fission, fusion, and CSP salt programs.

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Section: Arc Fusion Power Plantmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…system, 1,2 the flibe fusion blanket, and the proposed fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR). The startup company Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) is developing the ARC fusion concept in cooperation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Plasma Science and Fusion Center.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Fusion Blankets and Fluoride-Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactors with Flibe Salt Coolant: Common Challenges, Tritium Control, and Opportunities for Synergistic Development Strategies Between Fission, Fusion, and Solar Salt Technologies

et al. 2019

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“…However, if economic considerations are taken into account, this trend may not be overly punitive to high magnetic field devices. Some studies [51] assume that any device, regardless of size, will for economic viability need to achieve not a fixed amount of power, but rather a fixed value of the fusion power density given in (1). To achieve this, a device must achieve a specific value of fusion source rate (21), regardless of the device size and the resulting absolute amount of fusion power the device will produce.…”

Section: B Implications Of Findings For the High Magnetic Field Apprmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dependence of alpha-particle-driven Alfvén eigenmode linear stability on device magnetic field strength and consequences for next-generation tokamaks

et al. 2019

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Recently-proposed tokamak concepts use magnetic fields up to 12 T, far higher than in conventional devices, to reduce size and cost. Theoretical and computational study of trends in plasma behavior with increasing field strength is critical to such proposed devices. This paper considers trends in Alfvén eigenmode (AE) stability. Energetic particles, including alphas from D-T fusion, can destabilize AEs, possibly causing loss of alpha heat and damage to the device. AEs are sensitive to device magnetic field via the field dependence of resonances, alpha particle beta, and alpha orbit width. We describe the origin and effect of these dependences analytically and by using recentlydeveloped numerical techniques Nucl. Fusion 55 083003). The work suggests high-field machines where fusion-born alphas are sub-Alfvénic or nearly sub-Alfvénic may partially cut off AE resonances, reducing growth rates of AEs and the energy of alphas interacting with them. High-field burning plasma regimes have non-negligible alpha particle beta and AE drive, but faster slowing down time, provided by high electron density, and higher field strength reduces this drive relative to low-field machines with similar power densities. The toroidal mode number of the most unstable modes will tend to be higher in high magnetic field devices. The work suggests that high magnetic field devices have unique, and potentially advantageous, AE instability properties at both low and high densities.

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“…For this reason, this study will only consider the DD and DT reactions: [3,4,5,6,7,8,9,11] of MQ1 and plasma parameters calculated using TSC [10,12] In both phases of operation, neutron diagnostics will be vital for measuring the total rate of neutrons produced by MQ1, from which the fusion power can be inferred and fusion gain calculated. In addition, neutron diagnostics can provide key physics insights that bridge the gap between current machines and future fusion power plants, like the ARC design [1,2]. For example, spatially-resolved neutron measurements can illuminate the alpha-particle birth profile and fusion power density.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neutron diagnostics for the physics of a high-field, compact, Q ≥ 1 tokamak

Tinguely

Rosenthal

Simpson

et al. 2019

Fusion Engineering and Design

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Advancements in high temperature superconducting technology have opened a path toward high-field, compact fusion devices. This new parameter space introduces both opportunities and challenges for diagnosis of the plasma. This paper presents a physics review of a neutron diagnostic suite for a SPARC-like tokamak [Greenwald et al 2018 doi:10.7910/DVN/OYYBNU]. A notional neutronics model was constructed using plasma parameters from a conceptual device, called the MQ1 (Mission Q ≥ 1) tokamak. The suite includes time-resolved micro-fission chamber (MFC) neutron flux monitors, energy-resolved radial and tangential magnetic proton recoil (MPR) neutron spectrometers, and a neutron camera system (radial and off-vertical) for spatially-resolved measurements of neutron emissivity. Geometries of the tokamak, neutron source, and diagnostics were modeled in the Monte Carlo N-Particle transport code MCNP6 to simulate expected signal and background levels of particle fluxes and energy spectra. From these, measurements of fusion power, neutron flux and fluence are feasible by the MFCs, and the number of independent measurements required for 95% confidence of a fusion gain Q ≥ 1 is assessed. The MPR spectrometer is found to consistently overpredict the ion temperature and also have a 1000× improved detection of alpha knock-on neutrons compared to previous experiments. The deuterium-tritium fuel density ratio, however, is measurable in this setup only for trace levels of tritium, with an upper limit of n T /n D ≈ 6%, motivating further diagnostic exploration. Finally, modeling suggests that in order to adequately measure the self-heating profile, the neutron camera system will require energy and pulse-shape discrimination to suppress otherwise overwhelming fluxes of low energy neutrons and gamma radiation.

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Conceptual design study for heat exhaust management in the ARC fusion pilot plant

Cited by 70 publications

References 79 publications

Fusion Blankets and Fluoride-Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactors with Flibe Salt Coolant: Common Challenges, Tritium Control, and Opportunities for Synergistic Development Strategies Between Fission, Fusion, and Solar Salt Technologies

Fusion Blankets and Fluoride-Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactors with Flibe Salt Coolant: Common Challenges, Tritium Control, and Opportunities for Synergistic Development Strategies Between Fission, Fusion, and Solar Salt Technologies

Dependence of alpha-particle-driven Alfvén eigenmode linear stability on device magnetic field strength and consequences for next-generation tokamaks

Neutron diagnostics for the physics of a high-field, compact, Q ≥ 1 tokamak

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Conceptual design study for heat exhaust management in the ARC fusion pilot plant

Cited by 70 publications

References 79 publications

Fusion Blankets and Fluoride-Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactors with Flibe Salt Coolant: Common Challenges, Tritium Control, and Opportunities for Synergistic Development Strategies Between Fission, Fusion, and Solar Salt Technologies

Fusion Blankets and Fluoride-Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactors with Flibe Salt Coolant: Common Challenges, Tritium Control, and Opportunities for Synergistic Development Strategies Between Fission, Fusion, and Solar Salt Technologies

Dependence of alpha-particle-driven Alfvén eigenmode linear stability on device magnetic field strength and consequences for next-generation tokamaks

Neutron diagnostics for the physics of a high-field, compact, Q ≥ 1 tokamak

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Neutron diagnostics for the physics of a high-field, compact, Q ≥ 1 tokamak