• Energy Research

The main goal of the Divertor Tokamak Test facility (DTT) is to explore alternative power exhaust solutions for DEMO. The principal objective is to mitigate the risk of a difficult extrapolation to fusion reactor of the conventional divertor based on detached conditions under test on ITER. The task includes several issues, as: (i) demonstrating a heat exhaust system capable of withstanding the large load of DEMO in case of inadequate radiated power fraction; (ii) closing the gaps in the exhaust area that cannot be addressed by present devices; (iii) demonstrating how the possible implemented solutions (e.g., advanced divertor configurations or liquid metals) can be integrated in a DEMO device.In view of these goals, the basic physical DTT parameters have been selected according to the following guidelines: (i) edge conditions as close as possible to DEMO in terms of dimensionless parameters; (ii) flexibility to test a wide set of divertor concepts and techniques; (iii) compatibility with bulk plasma performance; (iv) an upper bound of 500 M€ for the investment costs.

This paper investigates the thermal and fluid dynamic effects of a cold air jet generated by a Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube on the cutting tool of a milling machine. A simulation model that predicts the temperature field and the displacements of the tool due to the thermal effects was developed. Such a model can help to correct machining errors and improve cutting accuracy of air-cooled milling machines. Experimental results validated the model. Eventually, the post-processing of the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) data has been conducted in virtual reality.

Recent R&D activities in nuclear fusion have identified the DEMO reactor as the ITER successor, aiming at demonstrating the technical feasibility of fusion plants, along with their commercial exploitation. However, the pulsed operation of the machine causes an “unconventional” operation of the system, posing unique challenges to the functional feasibility of the steam generator, for which it is necessary to define and qualify a reference configuration for DEMO. In order to facilitate the transitions between different operational regimes, the Once Through Steam Generator (OTSG) is considered to be a suitable choice for the DEMO primary heat transfer systems, being characterized by lower thermal inertia with respect to the most common U-tube steam generators. In this framework, the ENEA has undertaken construction of the STEAM facility at Brasimone R.C., aiming at characterizing the behavior of the DEMO OTSG and related water coolant systems in steady-state and transient conditions. A dedicated OTSG mock-up has been conceived and designed, adopting a scaling procedure, keeping the height 1:1 of the DEMO OTSGs. The conceptual design has been supported by RELAP5/Mod3.3 thermal-hydraulic calculations. CFD and FEM codes have been used for fluid-dynamic analyses and mechanical stress analyses, respectively, in specific parts of the component.

Within the EUROfusion roadmap for the technological development of the European-DEMOnstration (EU-DEMO) reactor, a key point has been identified in the discontinuous operation (pulse-dwell-pulse) of the machine. Water Cooled Lithium Lead (WCLL) Breeding Blanket (BB) Primary Heat Transfer Systems (PHTSs) adopt technology and components commonly used in nuclear fission power plants, whose performances could be negatively affected by the above mentioned pulsation, as well as by low-load operation in the dwell phase. This makes mandatory a full assessment of the functional feasibility of such components through accurate design and validation. For this purpose, ENEA Experimental Engineering Division at Brasimone R.C. aims at realizing STEAM, a water operated facility forming part of the multipurpose experimental infrastructure Water cooled lithium lead -thermal-HYDRAulic (W-HYDRA), conceived to investigate the water technologies applied to the DEMO BB and Balance of Plant systems and components. The experimental validation has the two main objectives of reproducing the DEMO operational phases by means of steady-state and transient tests, as well as performing dedicated tests on the steam generator aiming at demonstrating its ability to perform as intended during the power phases of the machine. STEAM is mainly composed of primary and secondary water systems reproducing the thermodynamic conditions of the DEMO WCLL BB PHTS and power conversion system, respectively. The significance of the STEAM facility resides in its capacity to amass experimental data relevant for the advancement of fusion-related technologies. This capability is attributable to the comprehensive array of instruments with which the facility will be equipped and whose strategic location is described in this work. The operational phases of the STEAM facility at different power levels are presented, according to the requirements of the experiments. Furthermore, a preliminary analysis for the definition of the control strategy for the OTSG mock-up was performed. In particular, two different control strategies were identified and tested, both keeping the primary mass flow constant and regulating the feedwater mass flow to follow a temperature set-point in the primary loop. The obtained numerical results yielded preliminary feedback on the regulation capability of the DEMO steam generator mock-up during pulsed operation, showing that no relevant overtemperature jeopardized the facility integrity, thanks to the high system responsivity to rapid load variations.

In the framework of the EUROfusion Horizon Europe Programme, ENEA and its linked third parties are in charge of the conceptual design of the steam generators belonging to EU DEMO WCLL Breeding Blanket Primary Heat Transfer Systems (BB PHTSs). In particular, in 2021, design activities and supporting numerical simulations were carried out in order to achieve a feasible and robust preliminary concept design of the Once Through Steam Generators (OTSGs), selected as reference technology for the DEMO Balance of Plant at the end of the Horizon 2020 Programme. The design of these components is very challenging. In fact, the steam generators have to deliver the thermal power removed from the two principal blanket subsystems, i.e., the First Wall (FW) and the Breeding Zone (BZ), to the Power Conversion System (PCS) for its conversion into electricity, operating under plasma pulsed regime and staying in dwell period at a very low power level (decay power). Consequently, the OTSG stability and control represent a key point for these systems’ operability and the success of a DEMO BoP configuration with direct coupling between the BB PHTS and the PCS. In this paper, the authors reported and critically discussed the FW and BZ steam generators’ thermal-hydraulic and mechanical design, the developed 3D CAD models, as well as the main results of the stability analyses and the control strategy to be adopted.