Fuel flow and stock during deuterium-deuterium start-up of fusion reactor with advanced plasma model

Abstract

Flow and stock of fuels in a fusion reactor has been investigated from the aspect of system-dynamics. In particular, operational scenario of the start-up only by deuterium has been discussed with an integrated model of burning plasmas including effects of dilution due to helium ash. The start-up only from deuterium has been attracting interests since initial loading of tritium in a fusion reactor is a critical issue because of limited availability of tritium. The present work solves the flow of tritium in a reactor with advanced modeling of plasma compared to a previous work. The temporal evolution of plasma temperature has been solved in an integrated manner of temperature and density profiles, an empirical scaling of energy confinement time, isotope effect of confinement, slowing down and velocity distribution function of energetic particles, dilution due to helium ash, and radiation losses. Performance of a reactor in terms of fusion power as well as tritium breeding has been assessed.