Attachment system for helium-cooled blanket of RF DEMO fusion reactor

Abstract

The development of DEMO thermonuclear reactor is a part of Russian national program on the fusion process mastering. The DEMO-S (stationary thermonuclear reactor) should be the logic continuation of the ITER-type projects (pulse thermonuclear reactors) and the prototype for commercial power plants. DEMO reactor layout suggests to use the segmented blanket with mounting/dismounting procedure through the vacuum vessel vertical ports. Taking into account this layout the blanket attachment system has been developed and the present paper is devoted to this subject. The considered attachment system includes the lower and upper toroidal support assemblies which connect all the blanket segments in the enclosed ring. In it's turn the lower support assemblies attached to the vacuum vessel through the system of hinged support pillars. The heights of support pillars for inboard and outboard blankets are selected so that to indemnify the blanket massif thermal expansions in vertical and radial directions. The support pillars have been calculated on strength taking into account the electromagnetic loads from the plasma disruptions and blanket mass. The selection of high-strength chromium steel as a structural material for the support pillars could be considered as the results of strength analysis. The conclusions on the possibility to apply this attachment system for fusion reactor blanket and the critical issues are contained in this paper too.