Temperature excursions in bounding accidents using finite element analysis for a water-cooled lithium lead blanket power plant

Analysis of hypothetical loss-of-coolant accidents in fusion power stations, involves establishing low upper limits of temperature excursions in the structure due to decay heat. Previous studies and results have revealed several key areas where it is clear that more realistic modelling of thermal transient events in fusion power plants could remove excessive conservatism in accident analysis and improve results. Modelling of thermal transient events in fusion power plants following accidental loss of cooling has been improved by the use of a commercially available finite element analysis code which allows two and three dimensional geometry treatments as well as various heat loading conditions. The principal plant parameters were a set used in preliminary studies for the European Power Plant Conceptual Study, as follows: fusion power 3000 MW, major plasma radius 7.9 m, aspect ratio 3.0, elongation 1.7, and triangularity 0.3. The blanket is based on the water-cooled lithium lead concept, with low activation martensitic steel as the structural material.