Molten salt blanket calculations for a tokamak fusion-fission hybrid reactor

Abstract

Several possible blanket designs for use in a tokamak fusion-fission hybrid reactor are investigated. The main constituent of the blanket is a molten salt, possibly with a separate convertor region for multiplication of the source neutrons. Both the thorium and uranium fuel cycles are analyzed subject to constraints on the blanket performance such as high blanket energy multiplication and sufficient breeding of tritium and fissile fuel. It is found that the behavior depends strongly on the salt composition through the ratios of fertile material to fissile material and lithium to fissile material. It is also very important to have multiplication of the high energy source neutrons in a convertor zone between the plasma and the salt. Ways of optimizing this neutron multiplication through variations in the convertor zone composition and thickness are investigated.