Initial definition of structural load conditions in DEMO

Abstract

An essential goal of the EU fusion roadmap is the development of design and technology of a Demonstration Fusion Power Reactor (DEMO) to follow ITER. A pragmatic approach is advocated considering a pulsed tokamak based on mature technologies and reliable regimes of operation, extrapolated as far as possible from the ITER experience. The EUROfusion Power Plant Physics and Technology Department (PPPT) started the conceptual design of DEMO in 2014, see Federici et al. (2014) [1].This article defines, based on ASME III, the categories of loads to be considered in the design of the DEMO components, defines the categorization of load conditions based on their expected occurrence and provides the correlation of acceptable component damage levels. It furthermore defines the load combinations to be considered in the conceptual design phase of DEMO. Furthermore, with exception of heat loads from plasma particles and radiation to the plasma facing components, the most important load cases are described and quantified. These include (i) electromagnetic (EM) loads due to toroidal field coil fast discharge, (ii) EM loads in fast and slow plasma disruptions due to eddy and halo currents, (iii) seismic loads, and (vi) pressure loads in the dominant incident/accident events.