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Fusion energy: Progress, partnerships, and the path to deployment
Over the past decade, fusion energy has moved decisively from scientific aspiration toward a credible pathway to a new energy technology. Thanks to long-term federal support, we have significantly advanced our fundamental understanding of plasma physics—the behavior of the superheated gases at the heart of fusion devices. This knowledge will enable the creation and control of fusion fuel under conditions required for future power plants. Our progress is exemplified by breakthroughs at the National Ignition Facility and the Joint European Torus.
F. Bonelli, L. V. Boccaccini, B.-E. Ghidersa, Q. Kang, L. Savoldi, R. Zanino
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 68 | Number 3 | October 2015 | Pages 507-511
Technical Paper | Proceedings of TOFE-2014 | doi.org/10.13182/FST14-985
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The first 3D thermal-fluid-dynamic and structural analyses done for the design and pre-test assessment of the so-called Thermo-Cycle Mock-up (TCM), reproducing about 0.3 m2 of a flat first wall (FW) with relevant helium cooling channels, are presented, based also on previous computational and experimental activities conducted at KIT but limited so far to a single cooling channel with straight heated length. The TCM is the first of a series of FW mock-ups presently under construction, to be tested starting from 2015 in the large HELOKA facility at KIT. Here, the fluid dynamics in the 180° turns of the TCM cooling channels is investigated together with the effects of heat transfer between neighboring channels, when the plate is subject to steady-state heat fluxes in the range 0.3-0.5 MW/m2. Based on the computed temperature maps, the stresses in the TCM and the related damage figures for the main failure modes (i.e., ratcheting and creep/fatigue) are assessed. These are compared with allowable limits in code and standards for the qualification of the TCM design and related to the prediction of the behavior of the component in the actual fusion environment.