Speaker
Description
The Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) is a UK programme to design and build a prototype fusion energy plant. STEP is an ambitious programme that will demonstrate the ability to generate net energy, fuel self-sufficiency and a route to commercialisation of nuclear fusion.
The compact radial design of a spherical tokamak presents a significant neutronic design challenge for tritium production that meets self-sufficiency targets, with inboard breeding challenging to implement. Following a comprehensive assessment of all breeder, coolant, and structural material options, solid ceramic lithium oxide (Li2O) has been selected together with a Ti-modified austenitic stainless steel structural material, CO2 coolant, and beryllium-based multiplier. This combination is considered to give the highest confidence in successfully meeting the SPP requirements.
Nuclear performance such as TBR, nuclear heating and shielding were key factors in the choice of blanket architecture for STEP Prototype Powerplant (SPP) breeder blanket using these materials. This talk presents the workflow used to perform nuclear analysis on various breeder designs and the challenges of an optimization process that must be integrated with design, thermal and structural analysis.
A Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG) reactor model incorporating parameterised CAD in DAGMC universes was used to rapidly explore the design space of high-fidelity blanket architectures, allowing quantitative comparison between configurations. The selection of an architecture and progression from concept to detailed design has led to an increase in design complexity, requiring improved workflows that can incorporate key features of the design for timely neutronics analysis to support integrated design choices. This talk presents some of the updates to the workflow required to manage this complexity, and plans for further improvement.
This work has been funded by STEP Fusion, a major technology and infrastructure programme led by UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd (UKIFS). UKIFS will shortly be renamed to UK Fusion Energy Ltd, reflecting its role in the next phase of the national fusion mission.
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