This paper explores the effect of a liquid lithium curtain on fusion reactor plasma, such curtain is utilized as the first wall for the engineering outline design of the Fusion Experimental Breeder （FEB-E）. The rela...This paper explores the effect of a liquid lithium curtain on fusion reactor plasma, such curtain is utilized as the first wall for the engineering outline design of the Fusion Experimental Breeder （FEB-E）. The relationships between the surface temperature of a liquid lithium curtain and the effective plasma charge, fuel dilution and fusion power production have been derived. Results indicate that under normal operation, the evaporation of liquid lithium does not seriously affect the effective plasma charge, but effects on fuel dilution and fusion power are more sensitive. As an example, it has investigated the relationships between the liquid lithium curtain flow velocity and the rise of surface temperature based on operation scenario II of the FEB-E design with reversed shear configuration and high power density. Results show that even if the liquid lithium curtain flow velocity is as low as 0.5 m/s, the effects of evaporation from the liquid lithium curtain on plasma are negligible. In the present design, the sputtering of liquid lithium curtain and the particle removal effects of the divertor are not yet considered in detail. Further studies are in progress, and in this work implication of lithium erosion and divertor physics on fusion reactor operation are discussed.展开更多
A new mechanism is suggested to suppress ash particle back streams in the divertor region of our fusion experimental breeder （FEB） reactor for enhancing the ash removal efficiency and reducing the tritium inventory ...A new mechanism is suggested to suppress ash particle back streams in the divertor region of our fusion experimental breeder （FEB） reactor for enhancing the ash removal efficiency and reducing the tritium inventory by applications of the nonlinear effect of high power rf ponderomotive force potential which reflects the platereleased and re-ionized He^＋ back to the plate. Meanwhile, the potential does not hinder α particles, which are coming from scraping of the layer, flowing to the target plate. However, it does stop tritium ions flowing to the target. Based on the FEB design parameters, our calculations have shown that the ash removal efficiency can be improved by as much as 40% if the parallel component of rf field 150-200 V/cm is applied to the location at a perpendicular distance L = 20 cm apart from the plate and the plate-recycling neutral helium atom energy is＇ about 0.75eV, at the same time, the tritium inventory can be reduced to some extent.展开更多
Similarly to but quite different from the xenon poisoning effects resulting from fission-produced iodine during the restart-up process of a fission reactor, we introduce a completely new concept of the tritium burn-up...Similarly to but quite different from the xenon poisoning effects resulting from fission-produced iodine during the restart-up process of a fission reactor, we introduce a completely new concept of the tritium burn-up depth and tritium break-even time in the fusion energy research area. To show what the least required amount of tritium storage is used to start up a fusion reactor and how long a time the fusion reactor needs to be operated for achieving the tritium break-even during the initial start-up phase due to the finite tritium breeding time that is dependent on the tritium breeder, specific structure of breeding zone, layout of coolant flow pipe, tritium recovery scheme, extraction process, the tritium retention of reactor components, unrecoverable tritium fraction in breeder, leakage to the inertial gas container, and the natural decay etc., we describe this new phenomenon and answer this problem by setting up and by solving a set of equations, which express a dynamic subsystem model of the tritium inventory evolution in a fusion experimental breeder （FEB）. It is found that the tritium burn-up depth is 317g and the tritium break-even time is approximately 240 full power days for FEB designed detail configuration and it is also found that after one-year operation, the tritium storage reaches 1.18kg that is more than the least required amount of tritium storage to start up three of FEB-like fusion reactors.展开更多
A new bipartition neutral transport model was developed for quick identification of the recycling properties of the wall-released hydrogenic neutral particles in the vicinity of the divertor target plate. Based on thi...A new bipartition neutral transport model was developed for quick identification of the recycling properties of the wall-released hydrogenic neutral particles in the vicinity of the divertor target plate. Based on this model, the numerical calculation results are fairly consistent with the results obtained with the ＇multi-generation method＇. This model can not only be utilized to provide a source term from neutral transport calculations for the B2 edge plasma transport code, which has been used to simulate edge plasma transport of an HL-2A divertor configuration, but can also be specifically applied for fast classification of the divertor plasma as high recycling or low recycling. Our results also show that the transmissivity is lower in the high-recycling regime.展开更多
The statistical random sample technique has been utilized to develop a new Monte-Carlo algorithm MCHET code recently. A large amount of comparative simulation calculation work relating to the neutralized alpha-particl...The statistical random sample technique has been utilized to develop a new Monte-Carlo algorithm MCHET code recently. A large amount of comparative simulation calculation work relating to the neutralized alpha-particle transport has been performed. As a result, we have found the beneficial optimizing plasma density and temperature profiles in the divertor region, with the great resulting improvement of helium ash removal efficiency by the simultaneously externally applied proper RF ponderomotive force potential energy in the vicinity of the divertor plate region. In this work the dominant atomic processes of electron impact ionization and elastic scattering by plasma ions are included. The thermal and streaming motion of the ions along the magnetic field is taken into consideration. Important conclusions are obtained that the probability of neutral helium turning back to the target plate will increase at least by 50% for the optimized combination of the beneficial density, temperature profiles and proper RF perpendicular electric field. For FEB （Fusion Experimental Breeder） reactor design parameters, the RF ponderomotive potential enhancement from 0.5 to 0.9 of ash removal efficiency can be obviously obtained. In the meantime, the tritium inventory may also be reduced to some extent.展开更多
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Grant No 10085001）, and in part the U.S. Department of Energy （Contract No W-31-109-ENG-38）.
文摘This paper explores the effect of a liquid lithium curtain on fusion reactor plasma, such curtain is utilized as the first wall for the engineering outline design of the Fusion Experimental Breeder （FEB-E）. The relationships between the surface temperature of a liquid lithium curtain and the effective plasma charge, fuel dilution and fusion power production have been derived. Results indicate that under normal operation, the evaporation of liquid lithium does not seriously affect the effective plasma charge, but effects on fuel dilution and fusion power are more sensitive. As an example, it has investigated the relationships between the liquid lithium curtain flow velocity and the rise of surface temperature based on operation scenario II of the FEB-E design with reversed shear configuration and high power density. Results show that even if the liquid lithium curtain flow velocity is as low as 0.5 m/s, the effects of evaporation from the liquid lithium curtain on plasma are negligible. In the present design, the sputtering of liquid lithium curtain and the particle removal effects of the divertor are not yet considered in detail. Further studies are in progress, and in this work implication of lithium erosion and divertor physics on fusion reactor operation are discussed.
文摘A new mechanism is suggested to suppress ash particle back streams in the divertor region of our fusion experimental breeder （FEB） reactor for enhancing the ash removal efficiency and reducing the tritium inventory by applications of the nonlinear effect of high power rf ponderomotive force potential which reflects the platereleased and re-ionized He^＋ back to the plate. Meanwhile, the potential does not hinder α particles, which are coming from scraping of the layer, flowing to the target plate. However, it does stop tritium ions flowing to the target. Based on the FEB design parameters, our calculations have shown that the ash removal efficiency can be improved by as much as 40% if the parallel component of rf field 150-200 V/cm is applied to the location at a perpendicular distance L = 20 cm apart from the plate and the plate-recycling neutral helium atom energy is＇ about 0.75eV, at the same time, the tritium inventory can be reduced to some extent.
文摘Similarly to but quite different from the xenon poisoning effects resulting from fission-produced iodine during the restart-up process of a fission reactor, we introduce a completely new concept of the tritium burn-up depth and tritium break-even time in the fusion energy research area. To show what the least required amount of tritium storage is used to start up a fusion reactor and how long a time the fusion reactor needs to be operated for achieving the tritium break-even during the initial start-up phase due to the finite tritium breeding time that is dependent on the tritium breeder, specific structure of breeding zone, layout of coolant flow pipe, tritium recovery scheme, extraction process, the tritium retention of reactor components, unrecoverable tritium fraction in breeder, leakage to the inertial gas container, and the natural decay etc., we describe this new phenomenon and answer this problem by setting up and by solving a set of equations, which express a dynamic subsystem model of the tritium inventory evolution in a fusion experimental breeder （FEB）. It is found that the tritium burn-up depth is 317g and the tritium break-even time is approximately 240 full power days for FEB designed detail configuration and it is also found that after one-year operation, the tritium storage reaches 1.18kg that is more than the least required amount of tritium storage to start up three of FEB-like fusion reactors.
文摘A new bipartition neutral transport model was developed for quick identification of the recycling properties of the wall-released hydrogenic neutral particles in the vicinity of the divertor target plate. Based on this model, the numerical calculation results are fairly consistent with the results obtained with the ＇multi-generation method＇. This model can not only be utilized to provide a source term from neutral transport calculations for the B2 edge plasma transport code, which has been used to simulate edge plasma transport of an HL-2A divertor configuration, but can also be specifically applied for fast classification of the divertor plasma as high recycling or low recycling. Our results also show that the transmissivity is lower in the high-recycling regime.
文摘The statistical random sample technique has been utilized to develop a new Monte-Carlo algorithm MCHET code recently. A large amount of comparative simulation calculation work relating to the neutralized alpha-particle transport has been performed. As a result, we have found the beneficial optimizing plasma density and temperature profiles in the divertor region, with the great resulting improvement of helium ash removal efficiency by the simultaneously externally applied proper RF ponderomotive force potential energy in the vicinity of the divertor plate region. In this work the dominant atomic processes of electron impact ionization and elastic scattering by plasma ions are included. The thermal and streaming motion of the ions along the magnetic field is taken into consideration. Important conclusions are obtained that the probability of neutral helium turning back to the target plate will increase at least by 50% for the optimized combination of the beneficial density, temperature profiles and proper RF perpendicular electric field. For FEB （Fusion Experimental Breeder） reactor design parameters, the RF ponderomotive potential enhancement from 0.5 to 0.9 of ash removal efficiency can be obviously obtained. In the meantime, the tritium inventory may also be reduced to some extent.
