Parameter study of the LIFE engine nuclear design

Abstract

Please save a copy of this form to your computer, complete and upload as 'Checklist for New Submissions'. Your manuscript will be considered incomplete unless all the below requirements have been met. Please initial each step to confirm.(1) I _Kevin Kramer__{enter name} confirm that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis), that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors and that, if accepted, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, without the written consent of the Publisher.Authors found to be deliberately contravening the submission guidelines on originality and exclusivity shall not be considered for future publication in this journal.(2) The source document is editable, i.e. Word, WordPerfect or Latex _KJK__ {enter initials} AbstractLLNL is developing the nuclear fusion based Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) power plant concept. The baseline design uses a depleted uranium (DU) fission fuel blanket with a flowing molten salt coolant (flibe) that also breeds the tritium needed to sustain the fusion energy source. Indirect drive targets, similar to those that will be demonstrated on the National Ignition Facility (NIF), are ignited at ∼13 Hz providing a 500 MW fusion source. The DU is in the form of a uranium oxycarbide kernel in modified TRISO-like fuel particles distributed in a carbon matrix forming 2-cm-diameter pebbles. The thermal power is held at 2000 MW by continuously varying the 6 Li enrichment in the coolants. There are many options to be considered in the engine design including target yield, U-to-C ratio in the fuel, fission blanket thickness, etc. Here we report results of design variations and compare them in terms of various figures of merit such as time to reach a desired burnup, full-power years of operation, time and maximum burnup at power ramp down and the overall balance of plant utilization.

TRISO Fuel Performance: Modeling, Integration into Mainstream Design Studies, and Application to a Thorium-fueled Fusion-Fission Hybrid Blanket

“…Initial studies established a baseline design using depleted uranium (DU) as a fission blanket fuel [49,50]. Subsequent studies further examined possibilities for hybrid LIFE engines [51,52,53,54,55]. These studies provided more detailed information in some cases than the summarized information below; however, some design assumptions and decisions have been changed for this current work compared to past studies, as will be explained later.…”

“…Previous publications describing the neutronic design of hybrid LIFE engines with fertile fuels characterized in great detail the three main phases of operation: ramp-up, plateau, and incineration [49,51,57]. During ramp-up, fertile fuels are transformed into fissile fuels (e.g., 232 Th becomes 233 U or 238 U becomes 239 Pu) and total system power increases from a value just above the fusion power (500 MW th ) to full system power (2000 MW th ).…”

“…The incineration phase involves operation at a reduced power level so that fusion neutrons can be used more extensively for tritium production and heavy metal transmutation. Figure 3.1 provides an illustration of how operational controls can be used in a LIFE engine to flatten the power profile of the system over time and thus enable better performance for the balance of plant (BOP) systems, which are largely designed and sized for the peak temperatures and power levels they will experience [51]. The "rep rate" control scheme shown reduces system power at time of peak power by reducing the repetition rate at which fusion targets are injected into the system, thus reducing fusion power and reducing the neutron source rate in the fission blanket.…”

Lazer ile Hızlandırılan Döteronlarla Füzyon-Fisyon Hedef Sisteminin İncelenmesi

“…Bu tür çalışmalar, nükleer atıkları depolamak için kullanılan kapları, füzyon reaktörlerinde hasar sürecini daha iyi anlamak ve daha sağlam malzemelerin geliştirilmesi ve test edilmesini sağlayacaktır. Lawrence Livermore Ulusal Laboratuvarı hâlihazırda LIFE adı verilen ve enerji üretmek ve nükleer atık yakmak için hibrit bir füzyon-fisyon enerji sistemi geliştirmektedir [16,17].…”

Laser Intertial Fusion Energy: Neutronic Design Aspects of a Hybrid Fusion-Fission Nuclear Energy System

“…The layout for a possible LFFH power plant is shown in Figure 2.2 [39]. An example of a baseline design is shown in Figure 2.3 where the chamber encompasses NIF-like hot spot illumination.…”