SBIR-STTR Award

With the worldwide development of fusion power focusingon the design of the International Thermonuclear ExperimentalReactor (ITER), developmental strategies for the demonstrationfusion power plant (DEMO) are being discussed. A relativelyprudent strategy is to construct and operate a smalldeuterium-tritium fueled volumetric neutron source (VNS) inparallel with ITER. The VNS would provide, during a period lessthan 20 years, a relatively high capability of 6 MW-a/m2 infusion neutron fluence, and 1 MW/m2 or above in wall loading,over an accessible blanket test area of more than 10 m2. Such aVNS would complement ITER in testing, developing, and qualifyingnuclear technology components and materials and theircombinations for DEMO and future commercial power plants. In thisresearch project, small spherical tokamak (ST) reactors will beinvestigated as the core for the VNS facility. The physics andconfiguration parameters will be determined for a range of STdesigns to identify ST-based VNS design assumptions and criticalissues. Solutions will be developed for these critical issuesaccounting for different candidate fusion blanket concepts. Thenuclear performance characteristics of the identified VNSfacility incorporating these test blankets will be investigated.Comparison will also be made of nuclear technologies to be testedand demonstrated in the VNS with those anticipated in the fullscale DEMO. The Phase I effort will establish the feasibility andthe unique features of the ST fusion core for the VNS facility.Results obtained from this study will help to identify arelatively near-term and cost-effective approach for testingnuclear technology in a small but DEMO-like reactor environment.Anticipated Results/Potential Commercial Applications asdescribed by the awardee: Results obtained from this study willhelp to identify a relatively near-term and cost effectiveapproach for testing nuclear technology in small but DEMO-like 56 reactor environments. This will complement the FusionMaterials Irradiation Facility and will mainline efforts of ITERand The International enhance their success.

With the worldwide development of fusion power focusingon the design of the International Thermonuclear ExperimentalReactor (ITER), developmental strategies for the demonstrationfusion power plant (DEMO) are being discussed. A relativelyprudent strategy is to construct and operate a smalldeuterium-tritium fueled volumetric neutron source (VNS) inparallel with ITER. The VNS would provide, during a period lessthan 20 years, a relatively high capability of 6 MW-a/m2 infusion neutron fluence, and 1 MW/m2 or above in wall loading,over an accessible blanket test area of more than 10 m2. Such aVNS would complement ITER in testing, developing, and qualifyingnuclear technology components and materials and theircombinations for DEMO and future commercial power plants. In thisresearch project, small spherical tokamak (ST) reactors will beinvestigated as the core for the VNS facility. The physics andconfiguration parameters will be determined for a range of STdesigns to identify ST-based VNS design assumptions and criticalissues. Solutions will be developed for these critical issuesaccounting for different candidate fusion blanket concepts. Thenuclear performance characteristics of the identified VNSfacility incorporating these test blankets will be investigated.Comparison will also be made of nuclear technologies to be testedand demonstrated in the VNS with those anticipated in the fullscale DEMO. The Phase I effort will establish the feasibility andthe unique features of the ST fusion core for the VNS facility.Results obtained from this study will help to identify arelatively near-term and cost-effective approach for testingnuclear technology in a small but DEMO-like reactor environment.Anticipated Results/Potential Commercial Applications asdescribed by the awardee: Results obtained from this study willhelp to identify a relatively near-term and cost effectiveapproach for testing nuclear technology in small but DEMO-like 56 reactor environments. This will complement the FusionMaterials Irradiation Facility and will mainline efforts of ITERand The International enhance their success.