Design and analyses on the recuperator of the high temperature PbLi experimental platform for CFETR

Abstract

As a candidate blanket for China Fusion Engineering and Test Reactor (CFETR), the supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) cOoled Lithium-Lead (COOL) blanket is under development. To solve the key scientific issue, i.e. MagnetoHydroDynamics (MHD) effect, the high temperature PbLi experimental platform is planned for construction at the Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP). As one of the key components in this platform, the recuperator acts as waste heat recovery and saving electricity power. In this paper, two types of recuperator are designed and analyzed, including the double-tube and hairpin. Firstly, the theoretical and empirical models are used to obtain different designs by changing the structure dimensions and arrangement, then the non-dimensional evaluation criteria is improved and adopted to determine the optimal design that has better comprehensive performance, i.e. higher heat transfer capacity, lower flow resistance to reduce pressure drop and smaller consume volume of liquid metal to increase economy. Finally, the thermal-hydraulic and thermal-mechanical analyses based on the optimal design of the 3D model are further carried out, which obtains the fields of temperature, pressure, velocity as well as stress, and the results can satisfy with the multiple requirements, i.e. outlet temperature under different operating conditions, flow distribution as well as structural strength. The design methodology and analysis results will provide useful technical and data support for the following engineering design and construction of the PbLi experimental platform.