Thermodynamics Properties of Molten Salt Technology Assessment for New Generation Fusion Reactors

Abstract

In this study, some important thermodynamic properties of the fusion reactor have been analyzed. The physical and chemical properties of molten salts have been extensively studied in the nuclear fusion program. In recent years, molten salts technology began to be used in some engineering areas, in the advanced nuclear field and especially in nuclear fusion reactor systems. Nowadays, Aries team has developed advanced designs by using the molten salts technology in order to get high thermodynamic and structural advantage on nuclear technology areas (Tillack et al. in Fusion Energ Des 65:215–261, 2003; Tillack et al. in Fusion Energ Des 49–50:689–695, 2000; El-Guebaly et al. in Fusion Energ Des 65:263–284, 2003). The Aries-St reactors are a 1000 MW fusion reactor system that based on a low aspect ratio ST plasma (Tillack et al. in Fusion Energy Des 65:215–261, 2003; Tillack et al. in Fusion Energy Des 49–50:689–695, 2000). The Aries team studies especially on liquid walls concepts and this liquid are used to increase neutronic performance of various structures of Aries-St reactors. In this research, candidate molten salts have been studied neutron effects on reactor performance which are the first wall (FW) and blanket. There are various candidate liquids that meet all the criteria such as Li₁₇Pb₈₃, flibe(Li₂BeF₄) and LiNaBeF₄, LiSn that are able to breed enough tritium. In this research, we used Li₁₇Pb₈₃, pure lithium and flibe as candidates that are in the Aries design. Montecarlo n-particle 4b-code is used for neutronics analysis and thermodynamic features. The value of tritium breeding ratio of the Aries-St reactors must be (TBR ≥ 1.1). This can be achieved in the region of LiPb/FW blanket of reactors. Aries-St spherical reactor has high heat flux (0.8 MW/m²) and NWL (6–8 MW/m²) in this region.