Structural Assessment of the European DEMO Water-Cooled Lithium Lead Breeding Blanket Central Outboard Segment Under Remote Maintenance Loading Conditions

Abstract

Within the framework of the European research activities devoted to design the DEMO breeding blanket (BB), the Water-Cooled Lithium-Lead (WCLL) BB concept is one of the candidates currently assessed in EU. One of the main issues connected to its design is represented by the remote maintenance (RM) operations. In particular, previous thermo-mechanical analysis highlighted a Ductile to Brittle Transition Temperature (DBTT) shift above the room temperature within the WCLL central outboard (COB) segment during normal operation. This may pose problems during the RM operations foreseen in the BB replacement phase. Indeed, within those WCLL COB segment’s regions where the DBTT shifted above the room temperature, the stress level arising during RM operations may be able to promote crack growth and migration resulting in a fragile fracture event. Then, in this work, the structural assessment of the DEMO WCLL COB segment under RM scenarios is performed, in order to provide the fracture mechanics analysis with the necessary input in terms of stress spatial distribution and to understand if the deformation occurring during RM can be accommodated by the available space reservation. Several potential RM scenarios have been considered, taking into account also the potential occurrence of a seismic event or the necessity to remove the WCLL COB segment with the liquid breeder not drained. The study has been performed adopting a numerical approach based on the Finite Element Method and adopting the quoted Abaqus code. The obtained results are quite encouraging and will allow, in the follow up, the refinement of the RM plan foreseen for the WCLL BB.