New Concepts for Controlled Fusion Reactor Blanket Design

Several new concepts for fusion reactor blanket design based on the idea of shifting, or tailoring, the neutron spectrum incident on the first structural wall are designed. The spectral shifter is a nonstructural element which can be made of graphite, silicon carbide, or three dimensionally woven carbon fibers (and containing other materials as appropriate) placed between the neutron source and the first structural wall. The softened neutron spectrum incident on the structural components leads to lower gas production and atom displacement rates than in more standard fusion blanket designs. In turn, this results in longer anticipated lifetimes for the structural materials and can significantly reduce radioactivity and afterheat levels. In addition, the neutron spectrum in the first structural wall can be made to approach the flux shape in fast breeder reactors. Such spectral softening means that existing radiation facilities may be more profitably used to provide relevant materials radiation damage data for the structural materials in these fusion blanket designs. This general class of blanket concepts are referred to as internal spectral shifter and energy converter, or ISSEC concepts. These specific design concepts fall into three main categories: ISSEC/EB concepts based on utilizing existing designs which breed tritium behind the first structural wall; ISSEC/IB concepts based on breeding tritium inside the first vacuum wall; and ISSEC/Bu concepts based on using boron, carbon, and perhaps, beryllium to obtain an energy multiplier and converter design that does not attempt to breed tritium or utilize lithium. The detailed analyses relate specifically to the nuclear performance of ISSEC systems and to a discussion of materials radiation damage problems in the structural material.