Fusion Engineering and Design最新文献

{"title":"Scenario feasibility and plasma controllability for Volumetric Neutron Source (VNS)","authors":"E. Acampora ,&nbsp;R. Ambrosino ,&nbsp;F. Maviglia ,&nbsp;R. Albanese ,&nbsp;C. Bachmann ,&nbsp;V. Di Marzo ,&nbsp;E. Grimaldi ,&nbsp;M. Siccinio ,&nbsp;I. Zammuto ,&nbsp;G. Federici","doi":"10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.115053","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.115053","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To test the efficiency of the blanket modules in a DEMO compliant environment, EUROfusion is considering the realization of a Volumetric Neutron Source facility (VNS). VNS will be a compact device, equipped with a DEMO-scale breeding blanket, pushing the active coils and the passive structures away from the plasma. From the electromagnetic viewpoint, this results in: the increase of the coils current needed for the definition of the plasma scenario; a reduction of the plasma shape controllability; the limitation of the stabilizing effect of the passive structures. To tackle these problems, the PMU is investigating two main design options: 1) <em>Window-frame coil</em> configuration 2) <em>PF-in-TF</em> configuration. In this paper, an electromagnetic analysis of the two design options in terms of plasma scenario feasibility and plasma controllability is proposed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55133,"journal":{"name":"Fusion Engineering and Design","volume":"217 ","pages":"Article 115053"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143929504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Economic study on the key aspects required for a commercial fusion power plant design based on EUROfusion-DEMO to become commercially viable","authors":"Jonathan Matthews,&nbsp;Alexander Pearce,&nbsp;Stuart I. Muldrew","doi":"10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.115105","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.115105","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To use fusion as a source for energy it is important to understand where future fusion plants would fit into the energy markets of the latter half of the century. The European demonstration power plant (EU-DEMO) is the first step to understanding this but a commercially viable successor is needed to fit into the energy sector. This study builds on the outputs of the EU-DEMO gate review to revise previous assumptions, with the ultimate goal being a set of commercially feasible concepts that guides research to fill identified gaps from EU-DEMO.</div><div>Three designs were used to investigate a commercial fusion plant using specifications from previous work such that there is a tokamak design with limited technological extrapolation from DEMO, a tokamak design with significant advancement over DEMO and finally an advanced alternative concept, a stellarator. These designs cover different possibilities post EU-DEMO allowing for a study of the commercial viability of the various paths to a commercial power plant. This study of the commercial viability of a plant will look into the standard electrical production as well as an alternative which is hydrogen production. Hydrogen is looked at because it is an alternative energy option to electricity that has many uses in future markets.</div><div>This paper demonstrates that to reach a commercially attractive fusion plant after DEMO, design improvements with the aim of cost reduction are required in addition to simply scaling up a plant in net electric output. In order to get a truly cost competitive plant, advanced concepts such as a steady-state tokamak or a stellarator need to be used, where the stellarator design was economically comparable to the advanced tokamak design.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55133,"journal":{"name":"Fusion Engineering and Design","volume":"217 ","pages":"Article 115105"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143924708","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identifying parasitic oscillations at 570 and 600 MHz in a 170-GHz gyrotron collector","authors":"Takahiro Shinya,&nbsp;Ryosuke Ikeda,&nbsp;Satoru Yajima,&nbsp;Yasuo Yoshimura,&nbsp;Hibiki Yamazaki,&nbsp;Takayuki Kobayashi,&nbsp;Ken Kajiwara","doi":"10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.115172","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.115172","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Parasitic oscillations cause undesirable electromagnetic wave emissions from gyrotrons. In a recent study using a 170-GHz gyrotron, waves with a frequency of approximately 570 MHz were observed, which potentially indicated the occurrence of parasitic oscillations in the gyrotron. However, the site of this excitation was not likely at well known gyrotron components such as the beam tunnel and cathode. This study examined parasitic oscillations in a 170-GHz gyrotron to identify the site of their excitation. Frequency measurements showed that waves with a frequency of approximately 570 and 600 MHz were generated. In addition, the wave excitations were observed only at certain collector coil currents, potentially indicating that the parasitic oscillations were excited at the collector. Therefore, resonance frequencies around the collector (including window and DC break sections) were calculated and measured. The calculated and measured resonant frequencies were consistent with the frequencies of the parasitic oscillations. Thus, this study determined that the parasitic oscillations were excited at the collector and the resonance frequencies were determined by the inner shape around the collector. The findings of this study enhance the understanding of unintended wave-generation mechanisms in high-power gyrotrons, which is essential for improving their operational reliability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55133,"journal":{"name":"Fusion Engineering and Design","volume":"217 ","pages":"Article 115172"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143929501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Installation, commissioning and testing of a low energy accelerator based 14-MeV neutron generator for lab scale fusion neutronics experiment","authors":"Sudhirsinh Vala ,&nbsp;Ratnesh Kumar ,&nbsp;Mitul Abhangi ,&nbsp;Hajari Lal Swami ,&nbsp;Mainak Bandyopadhyay ,&nbsp;Rajesh Kumar","doi":"10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.115158","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.115158","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Institute for Plasma Research (IPR) in India has established an accelerator-based D-T neutron generator facility, achieving a neutron yield of 5 × 10¹² ns⁻¹. In this device, neutrons are generated through the nuclear reaction ³H(D, n)⁴He, where accelerated deuterium ions D+ bombard on a solid tritium (TiT, T/Ti ≥ 1.5) target at energies up to 300 keV using an electrostatic accelerator. The main subsystems of the D-T neutron generator include an Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source (ECRIS), a High Voltage (HV) deck, a Low Energy Beam Transport (LEBT) system, an acceleration column, a Medium Energy Beam Transport (MEBT) system, a 300 kV High Voltage Power Supply (HVPS), a rotating tritium target and Tritium Handling and Recovery System (THRS) . The LEBT system transports the deuterium ion beam from the ECRIS to the acceleration system, while the MEBT system carries the accelerated deuterium beam to bombard the tritium target, producing 14-MeV neutrons. All subsystems of the neutron generator have been installed, commissioned, and tested according to their design parameters. The deuterium ion beam has been produced and its parameters, such as beam current, beam diameter, and beam emittance, have been measured under various conditions, including different levels of microwave power, gas pressure, extraction voltage, and solenoid current. The neutron generator has been tested for continuous operation, achieving an average neutron yield of 1.2 × 10¹² ns⁻¹. This paper provides a detailed description of the experimental setup, including installation, commissioning, and testing of all subsystems, as well as the measurement results for the deuterium ion beam parameters and neutron yield during commissioning and testing. This facility provides the benefits of high mono-energetic neutron flux within a single setup. Its versatility enables a wide range of research applications, especially in lab scale fusion neutronics experiments, including nuclear cross-section measurements, electronics and sensor testing, Test Blanket Module (TBM) mock-up experiments, nuclear science, and space technology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55133,"journal":{"name":"Fusion Engineering and Design","volume":"217 ","pages":"Article 115158"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143924707","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The sensitivity of NRA for deuterium quantification in Li-based materials","authors":"R. Mateus ,&nbsp;N. Catarino ,&nbsp;E. Castro ,&nbsp;A.C. Ferro ,&nbsp;A. Ribeiro ,&nbsp;R.C. da Silva","doi":"10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.115140","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.115140","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The use of lithium (Li) and Li-based materials for liquid metal applications is a promising solution to protect solid plasma facing materials from dense power flows in operative fusion scenarios. The recovery of the liquid materials and the affinity of lithium to retain hydrogen motivates an extensive research of the retained deuterium amounts, which is commonly investigated by Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA) by resolving the ²H(³He,p)⁴He reaction yields. Nevertheless, the incidence of ³He ion beams induces other competing nuclear reactions such as ⁶Li(³He,p_i)⁸Be, ⁷Li(³He,p_i)⁹Be and ⁷Li(³He,d_i)⁸Be, with related particle yields visible in the spectra. Particularly, the energy width of the p₁ emission of the ⁶Li(³He,p_i)⁸Be reaction is large (about 1.75 MeV), and the ⁶Li(³He,p_i)⁸Be yield becomes superimposed to the ²H(³He,p₀)⁴He one. Even so, deuterium quantification is possible to achieve due to the cross-sections of both proton emissions, being the detection limits widely dependent of the Li contents, of the energy of the incident ³He ion beam and of the energy resolution of detection system. In the present experiment, Li-Sn alloys were used as Li-based material. The case of pure Li was extrapolated from the experimental data. For a standard analysis with accumulated charges of 5 μC in the collected spectra, minimum detectable amounts within the range from ∼1 × 10¹⁵ at./cm² to ∼1 × 10¹⁶ at./cm² were predicted for all the studied examples.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55133,"journal":{"name":"Fusion Engineering and Design","volume":"217 ","pages":"Article 115140"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143916355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preliminary design of experiments to test tritium breeding capability for the water cooled ceramic blanket concept","authors":"Tianyi Liu ,&nbsp;Xilong Tong ,&nbsp;Shanliang Zheng","doi":"10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.115147","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.115147","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The breeding blanket is a core component in future D-T fusion reactors to ensure the tritium self-sufficiency. In order to accurately assess the tritium breeding capability, it is essential to understand the process of the tritium production and release behavior in the blanket. WCCB (Water cooled ceramic blanket) with the lithium titanate pebbles as the breeding material is one of the candidate blankets for CFETR (Chinese Fusion Engineering Test Reactor). Based on the WCCB concept, a small breeding blanket module is proposed to mimic the geometrical configuration and to conduct irradiation experiments with a 14 <em>MeV</em> D–T neutron source. The lithium glass detector will be placed inside the breeding zone to measure the tritium production rate (TPR) in situ. Part of Li₂TiO₃ pebbles will be individually packed to allow further offline measurement for the tritium production so that the dimensions of mock-up have been optimized to produce enough tritium to be measurable. The spatial distribution of tritium production and the activation of the mockup post irradiation have been evaluated for the design optimization of the experiment. The power deposition in the mockup has been calculated and it proved the temperature variation is negligible inside the mock-up in response of the neutron irradiation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55133,"journal":{"name":"Fusion Engineering and Design","volume":"217 ","pages":"Article 115147"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143924705","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The General-Purpose Irradiated Fiber and Foil Experiment for material characterization under fusion-relevant loads","authors":"Alexander Feichtmayer ,&nbsp;Johann Riesch ,&nbsp;Bailey Curzadd ,&nbsp;Till Höschen ,&nbsp;Thomas Schwarz-Selinger ,&nbsp;Marcel Appel ,&nbsp;Raphaël Colson ,&nbsp;Sebastian Estermann ,&nbsp;Robert Lürbke ,&nbsp;Rudolf Neu","doi":"10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.115114","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.115114","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>On the path towards nuclear fusion as a future energy source, the development and subsequent qualification of suitable materials play a crucial role. Especially the scarcity of a 14<!--> <!-->MeV fusion neutron source represents a major challenge, which can only be partially mitigated by existing alternatives. Furthermore, it is not sufficient to investigate the individual fusion-relevant loads such as irradiation damage, thermomechanical loads and the implantation of hydrogen isotopes in isolation from each other.</div><div>For this purpose, the <strong>G</strong>eneral-Purpose <strong>Ir</strong>radi<strong>a</strong>ted <strong>F</strong>iber and <strong>F</strong>oil <strong>E</strong>xperiment (GIRAFFE) was developed at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) in Garching, a high-precision tensile testing machine installed in a particle accelerator beamline. The simultaneous application of irradiation damage from high-energy ions, implantation of hydrogen and helium ions as well as thermomechanical loads, enable a previously unachievable simulation of the synergistic effects of a fusion environment. This article describes the technical design of the machine, as well as the possible applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55133,"journal":{"name":"Fusion Engineering and Design","volume":"217 ","pages":"Article 115114"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143916343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-dimensional condensation behavior during ingress of coolant event experiments for fusion reactors with TRACE code","authors":"Shun Nukaga,&nbsp;Masahiro Furuya","doi":"10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.115107","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.115107","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An Ingress of Coolant (ICE) event is defined as the intrusion of high-temperature, high-pressure coolant water into the plasma chamber of a nuclear fusion reactor. This phenomenon constitutes a critical safety concern, as it has the potential to result in the release of radioactive materials into the surrounding environment. Consequently, a proper assessment of an ICE must be made in the design of fusion reactors. Prior to the construction of ITER, the Integrated ICE Facility was constructed at the Naka Laboratory of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) in Japan to validate the computational code for the pressure suppression system in ITER against the obtained experimental data. This study examined the Integrated ICE Facility utilizing the TRACE code for two wall-thermal boundary conditions. By comparing the calculated and experimental values, it was found that the TRACE code could adequately evaluate the injected flow rate and pressure inside the plasma chamber. The discrepancy was partly attributed to the number of cells required to capture multidimensional water levels. Furthermore, it was determined that the timestep size exhibited a close relationship with the pressure within the suppression tank.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55133,"journal":{"name":"Fusion Engineering and Design","volume":"217 ","pages":"Article 115107"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143916342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In-Vessel Component Remote Maintenance path planning methods for plant architecture assessments","authors":"Petri Tikka ,&nbsp;Janne Lyytinen ,&nbsp;William Brace ,&nbsp;Michael Staniforth ,&nbsp;Stuart Budden","doi":"10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.115110","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.115110","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Remote Maintenance (RM) path planning for In-Vessel Components (IVC) provides input for the early design decisions on the RM system and the architecture of fusion power plants. In fusion engineering, path planning is complex, as it is linked with various interfacing systems within the RM design. Traditionally, path planning in this field is performed manually, involving step-by-step path generation and clearance measurements using CAD tools.</div><div>This study aims to explore existing tools for path planning and develop a novel, a more automated approach to generating in-vessel RM paths for IVCs. The primary goals are to increase the speed of path assessments, improve task consistency, and lay the foundation for a more unified path planning process in the future.</div><div>To assess path feasibility, a specific use case has been constructed as an experiment. Catia, a CAD tool, is used for manual path planning, while the game engine Unity is utilized to investigate Machine Learning (ML) methods for path planning in fusion devices. Reinforcement Learning (RL), known for its capabilities in interactive environments, is employed in Unity via ML-Agents plugin. The environment is a Vacuum-Vessel (VV) sector, where the interactive agent is a Blanket segment. The RL approach is expected to adapt dynamically to changes within the tokamak environment, allowing for assessments of various plant design points in the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55133,"journal":{"name":"Fusion Engineering and Design","volume":"217 ","pages":"Article 115110"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143906564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vacuum brazing route for large-scale grid manufacturing in negative ion beam generation","authors":"Ravi Pandey ,&nbsp;M.J. Singh ,&nbsp;Jaydeep Joshi ,&nbsp;Mainak Bandyopadhyay ,&nbsp;Arun K Chakraborty","doi":"10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.115135","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.115135","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Large size grids (∼1 × 0.5 m²) used in the generation of negative ion beams are high heat flux receiving components that require active cooling. To achieve this, embedded cooling channels are designed and manufactured within the grid segments. Traditionally, embedded cooling channels of these grids are produced through electroforming for systems like JET-PINI, BATMAN, ROBIN and ITER-DNB sources. However, an attempt has been made to manufacture these type of grids on a full scale using the economical vacuum brazing method for ion source application in non-neutron environments like the TWIN source (a two-driver RF-based negative ion source) [2,3]. Additionally, this kind of economically manufactured plates with millimetre size embedded cooling channel cross sections can also be used as heat exchanger plates in several industrial applications. The cooling geometry of the grids are optimized based on finite element analysis, prototype development, and experimental validation [1]. The current work provides insight into the development of brazing procedures, design of fixtures and its implementation for manufacturing the large size grid segment. Additionally, it establishes a comprehensive inspection and testing procedures for acceptance of such grids.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55133,"journal":{"name":"Fusion Engineering and Design","volume":"217 ","pages":"Article 115135"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143906566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}