Preliminary design and analysis of the back supporting structure for CFETR WCCB blanket

• Published in: Fusion engineering and design Vol. 177; p. 113057
• Main Authors: Xu, Kun, Lei, Mingzhun, Xu, Shuling, Wu, Qigang, Liu, Sumei, Liu, Songlin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.04.2022; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Accessories; Attachment; BSS; CFETR; Design analysis; Engineering test reactors; Heat exchange; Mechanical analysis; Modules; Nuclear power plants; Preliminary designs; Stress distribution; Temperature distribution; Thermal-hydraulic analysis; Vessels; China; CFETR; Thermal-hydraulic analysis; Attachment; BSS; Mechanical analysis
• ISSN: 0920-3796; 1873-7196
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fusengdes.2022.113057

•The detailed design of the back supporting structure (BSS) of CFETR WCCB blanket has been presented.•Heat transfer Thermal-hydraulic analysis of the BSS has been carried out based on a global model of BSS and the attachment.•Mechanical assessment of the BSS and the attachment has been performed and results can meet the design requirements. China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) is a key step to realize the future demonstration fusion power plant and plays an important role in the roadmap of magnetic confinement fusion development in China. As an important in-vessel component, CFETR blanket back supporting structure (BSS) bridges the blanket modules onto the vacuum vessel, withstanding the gravity and electromagnetic loads and distributing the coolant into blanket modules. This paper presents the preliminary design of BSS for the CFETR WCCB blanket and the detailed design of the attachments between BSS and Vacuum Vessel. Based on the proposed design, a global model of BSS and the attachment for one sector has been established with ANSYS code. The thermal-hydraulic analysis has been conducted to assess the heat exchange and temperature distribution. The analyses of individual load conditions and the coupling analysis have been carried out to obtain the stress distribution and deformation. Based on the analyses results, the corresponding design targets and criterion have been met, indicating the feasibility of current BSS and the attachment design. The design and analyses of the BSS together with the attachments can not only provide good reference for the VV design but also provide guidance for design of flexible support used in the blanket pipe system.