R&D Needs for the Design of the EU-DEMO HCPB ICD Balance of Plant in FP9

• Published in: Journal of Nuclear Engineering Vol. 3; no. 4; pp. 435 - 445
• Main Authors: Perez-Martin, Sara, Bubelis, Evaldas, Hering, Wolfgang, Barucca, Luciana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 06-12-2022
• Subjects: Energy; Free convection; Heat exchangers; Heat transfer; Helium; Mathematical analysis; Molten salts; Optimization; Plasma
• ISSN: 2673-4362; 2673-4362
• DOI: 10.3390/jne3040029

During the Pre-Conceptual Design Phase of the EU-DEMO, two BOP solutions for WCLL and HCPB were elaborated, as close as possible to industrial standards. Nevertheless, each solution has open issues to be investigated, analytically and experimentally, in the Conceptual Design Phase (CDP). For the HCPB, the functionality and operability of the Helium-Molten Salt Heat Exchanger, and the coupling to a helium loop with a prototypic helium blower, is of primary interest. In addition, the operation of the pulse, dwell and transitions will be investigated within the new build infrastructure, HELOKA-US (Upgrade Storage), to be erected at KIT. The design requires a certain flexibility, since the final parameters of the Primary Heat Transfer System of DEMO may vary, due to plasma optimizations during CDP. HELOKA-US benefits from the high-pressure helium loop HELOKA-HP, erected to test HCPB-Breeding Blanket and First Wall modules, as well as from the competencies of preparing, handling and testing of various molten salts used for heat transfer optimization and natural convection.