Development of a Thermal-Hydraulic Model for the EU-DEMO Tokamak Building and LOCA Simulation

Matteo D’Onorio, Tommaso Glingler, Maria Teresa Porfiri, Danilo Nicola Dongiovanni, Sergio Ciattaglia, Curt Gliss, Joëlle Elbez-Uzan, Pierre Cortes and Gianfranco Caruso ()
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Matteo D’Onorio: Department of Astronautical Electrical and Energy Engineering (DIAEE), Sapienza University of Rome, C.so Vittorio Emanuele II 244, 00186 Rome, Italy
Tommaso Glingler: Department of Astronautical Electrical and Energy Engineering (DIAEE), Sapienza University of Rome, C.so Vittorio Emanuele II 244, 00186 Rome, Italy
Maria Teresa Porfiri: ENEA CR. Frascati, UTFUS-TECN, Via Enrico Fermi, 45, 00044 Frascati, Italy
Danilo Nicola Dongiovanni: ENEA CR. Frascati, UTFUS-TECN, Via Enrico Fermi, 45, 00044 Frascati, Italy
Sergio Ciattaglia: EUROfusion Consortium, Boltzmannstr. 2, 85748 Garching, Germany
Curt Gliss: EUROfusion Consortium, Boltzmannstr. 2, 85748 Garching, Germany
Joëlle Elbez-Uzan: EUROfusion Consortium, Boltzmannstr. 2, 85748 Garching, Germany
Pierre Cortes: EUROfusion Consortium, Boltzmannstr. 2, 85748 Garching, Germany
Gianfranco Caruso: Department of Astronautical Electrical and Energy Engineering (DIAEE), Sapienza University of Rome, C.so Vittorio Emanuele II 244, 00186 Rome, Italy

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 3, 1-25

Abstract: The EU-DEMO must demonstrate the possibility of generating electricity through nuclear fusion reactions. Moreover, it must denote the necessary technologies to control a powerful plasma with adequate availability and to meet the safety requirements for plant licensing. However, the extensive radioactive materials inventory, the complexity of the plant, and the presence of massive energy sources require a rigorous safety approach to fully realize fusion power’s environmental advantages. The Tokamak building barrier design must address two main issues: radioactive mass transport hazards and energy-related or pressure/vacuum hazards. Safety studies are performed in the frame of the EUROfusion Safety And Environment (SAE) work package to support design improvement and evaluate the thermal-hydraulic behavior of confinement building environments during accident conditions in addition to source term mobilization. This paper focuses on developing a thermal-hydraulic model of the EU-DEMO Tokamak building. A preliminary model of the heat ventilation and air conditioning system and vent detritiation system is developed. A loss-of-coolant accident is studied by investigating the Tokamak building pressurization, source term mobilization, and release. Different nodalizations were compared, highlighting their effects on source term estimation. Results suggest that the building design should be improved to maintain the pressure below safety limits; some mitigative systems are preliminarily investigated for this purpose.

Keywords: Tokamak building; EU DEMO; safety; ex-vessel LOCA; MELCOR; source term (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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