A magnetic fusion plant must deliver net to the grid

PHYSICS · Multi-part · Fermi University Physics · Plasma Physics · Fusion plasmas · Fusion plasmas

Energy from Physics, Ch Fusion as a power plant: gain, beta, wall loading and breeding

Problem

A magnetic fusion plant must deliver

500\,\mathrm{MW_e}

net to the grid. Its plasma runs at

Q = 25

. Take the worked example's blanket multiplication

M = 1.15

\eta_{\rm th} = \eta_{\rm h} = 0.4

and a house load of

5

per cent of gross output. The first wall is limited to

\Gamma_n = 2\,\mathrm{MW\,m^{-2}}

, the torus has a circular cross-section and aspect ratio

R_0/a = 3

, and its steel is replaced at

150\,\mathrm{dpa}

, accumulating

10\,\mathrm{dpa}

per

\mathrm{MW\,yr\,m^{-2}}

. One gigawatt-year of fusion power burns

56\,\mathrm{kg}

of tritium. ((a)) Find the fusion power the plant needs and its engineering gain

Q_E

. ((b)) Find its major radius. ((c)) Find how often, in full-power years, the first wall must be replaced. ((d)) Find the tritium the plasma burns in a full-power year, and how long a civil stock of

25\,\mathrm{kg}

would last it if the blanket bred nothing.

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