Mechanical assessment of first wall / blanket for DEMO

Abstract

As a critical part of a breeding blanket of fusion reactor or DEMO, it is a common method to design and optimize the first wall separately before the mechanical evaluation of the fully integrated blanket. To understand the difference between the simplified first wall models and the fully integrated first wall/blanket model, the differences of the mechanical behavior between the simplified and integrated models are studied in this paper. The results provide a reference for the conceptual design and optimization of the first wall. Based on the HCCB (helium-cooled ceramic breeder) DEMO blanket model, the mechanical analysis of the integrated model was carried out, and the relatively accurate mechanical characteristics of the first wall for M-type and C-type damage were obtained. Considering the results of the integrated model as a basis, the mechanical analysis of the M-type and C-type for the 2 typical simplified model was carried out. For the separate first wall model, the maximum differences of M-type and C-type are -19% and -17%, respectively. For the most simplified model, the maximum differences of M-type are -17%, the differences of C-type are seriously deviated from the results of the integrated model. The results indicate that one quarter first wall model with reasonable constraints is closer to the results of the fully integrated FW/blanket model. The analysis results of one quarter first wall model can be used as a reference for the conceptual design of the first wall and can be utilized to optimize the first wall design based on the stress limits for prevention of the M-type and C-type damage modes.