Preliminary Design Studies of a Cylindrical Experimental Hybrid Blanket with Deuterium-Tritium Driver

TLDR

Cylindrical geometry aligns with prevailing fusion and hybrid reactor designs, with the fusion chamber modeled as a ~1.6 m diameter cavity within the blanket. The AYMAN research project aims to develop the main structure of a prototypical experimental fusion‑fission hybrid reactor blanket in cylindrical geometry. The design employs a movable 14‑MeV neutron source along the cylinder axis to simulate a line source, and calculations show that a 13‑cm natural UO₂ fuel zone plus a 17‑cm Li₂O zone can sustain tritium breeding. Dispersing the Li₂O zone within the graphite reflector reduces neutron leakage by a factor of 2–3, improving tritium breeding performance.

Abstract

AbstractThe AYMAN research project has been initiated to formulate the main structure of a prototypical experimental fusion and fusion-fission (hybrid) reactor blanket in cylindrical geometry. This geometry is consistent with most of the current fusion and hybrid reactor design concepts in respect to neutronic considerations.In this project, the fusion chamber is simulated by a cavity with a diameter of ∼1.6 m inside a cylindrical blanket. Fusion neutrons of 14 MeV are produced by a movable target along the axis of the cylinder. The movable neutron source allows simulation of a line source for integral experiments, which is a result of the linear nature of the Boltzmann transport equation.The calculations have shown that a blanket with a 13-cm-thick natural UO2 fuel zone and a 17-cm-thick Li2O zone has a self-sustaining tritium breeding for the fusion driver. By an appropriate dispersion of the Li2O zone inside the graphite reflector, it became possible to decrease the neutron leakage out of the reflector by a factor of 2 to 3 in favor of tritium breeding performance.