Optimization of the first wall cooling circuits to achieve an efficient coolant flow distribution in the DCLL breeding blanket

Abstract

In the current design proposal of the Dual Coolant Lithium Lead (DCLL) breeding blanket for the EU DEMO reactor, the first wall is cooled down by a succession of He channels arranged along the poloidal length. In this scheme, since He extracts around 30% of the blanket thermal power, a conservative oversizing of the coolant mass flow rate compelled by highly heterogeneous heat loads, can severely jeopardize the blanket thermal efficiency and the consumption of the auxiliary systems. A meticulous design of the hydraulic network can enhance the cooling system efficiency by ensuring that each channel is fed with a mass flow rate according to its specific needs.In this study, a novel approach employing genetic algorithms has been developed to optimize the geometry of the first wall, encompassing the feeding/collecting manifolds and channels. This optimization aims to replicate the mass flow rate distribution obtained from TOMFLOW (Tool for Optimization of Helium Mass Flow Rate Distribution), a code dedicated to determine the minimum mass flow rate required in each channel to maintain the EUROFER steel structure below 550 °C.