Steady states and LOFA analyses of the updated WCCB blanket for multiple fusion power modes of CFETR

Abstract

The Water Cooled Ceramic Breeder (WCCB) blanket is one of the blanket candidates of Chinese Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR). The core parameters of CFETR have been updated to major radius R = 7.2 m, minor radius a = 2.2 in 2018. Accordingly, the WCCB blanket design was also updated to satisfy multiple operation modes of CFETR with the fusion power of 200 MW, 500 MW, 1.0 GW and 1.5 GW. The WCCB blanket is characterized by 3 independent cooling systems (CSs), namely CS1 for the cooling of the First Wall (FW), CS2&3 for Breeding Zones (BZs). At 200 MW of low fusion power, CS3 is idle. At 500 MW to 1.5 GW of high fusion power, all 3 CSs are put into use to ensure adequate cooling. So it is indispensable to evaluate the feasibility of the updated WCCB blanket from the thermal hydraulic and safety point of view. A system analysis code RELAP5, was employed to model the blanket. The steady states were analyzed under 200 MW, 500 MW, 1.0 GW and 1.5 GW of fusion power. Then, the Loss of Flow Accident (LOFA) was simulated with different assumptions to verify the robustness of 3 cooling systems design under different initial postulations. Simulation results show that important thermal hydraulic parameters, such as pressure and temperature, can basically meet the design criterion, which preliminarily verifies the feasibility of the WCCB blanket from the thermal hydraulic safety point of view. Comprehensive system design and analysis is under way.