1 / 77

Plasma Fusion Energy Technology

Plasma Fusion Energy Technology. S Lee 1,2,3 & S H Saw 2,1 1 Institute for Plasma Focus Studies 2 INTI University College, Malaysia 3 Nanyang Technological University/NIE Singapore. International Conference on Recent and Emerging Advanced Technologies in Engineering

kaya
Download Presentation

Plasma Fusion Energy Technology

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Plasma Fusion Energy Technology S Lee1,2,3 & S H Saw2,1 1Institute for Plasma Focus Studies 2INTI University College, Malaysia 3Nanyang Technological University/NIE Singapore International Conference on Recent and Emerging Advanced Technologies in Engineering iCREATE 2009, 23 & 24 November 2009, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

  2. Outline of Talk • Introduction: The energy crisis • Nuclear Fusion Technology & energy • Tokamaks-early days to ITER & beyond • Alternative fusion programs • Plasma Focus technology into the future • Conclusion

  3. STARS:- Nature’s Plasma Fusion Reactors Whilst above the white stars quiver With Fusion Energy burning bright

  4. Tokamak-planned nuclear fusion reactor

  5. Natural Fusion Reactors vsFusion Experiments on Earth

  6. Plasma Physics: • Introductory: What is a Plasma? • Characteristics & high energy density

  7. Introductory: What is a Plasma? Matter heated to high temperatures becomes a Plasma SOLID LIQUIDGASPLASMA Four States of Matter

  8. Characteristics of Plasma State • Presence of electrons and ions • Electrically conducting • Interaction with electric & magnetic fields • Control of ions & electrons: applications • High energy densities/selective particle energies -Cold plasmas: several eV’s; (1eV~104K) -Hot plasmas: keV’s ; (1keV~107K) • Most of matter in Universe is in the Plasma State (e.g. the STARS)

  9. Major technological applications • Surface processing, cleaning, etching, deposition • Advanced materials, diamond/CN films • Environmental e.g.waste/water treatment • High temperature chemistry • MHD-converters, thrusters, high power switches • Radiation sources: Microelectronics lithography • Medical: diagnostics, cleaning, instrumentation • Light sources, spectroscopic analysis, FP displays • Fusion Energy

  10. The Singular, arguably Most Important Future Technological Contribution, essential to Continuing Progress of Human Civilization:- A NEW LIMITLESS SOURCE OF ENERGY

  11. Scenario: World Population stabilizes at 10 billion; consuming energy at 2/3 US 1985 per capita rate Consumption Shortfall Supply Fossil, Hydro, fission

  12. Plasma Fusion & the Future of Human Civilization A new source of abundant (limitless) energy is needed for the continued progress of human civilization. Mankind now stands at a dividing point in human history: • 200 years ago, the Earth was under-populated with abundant energy resources • 100 years from now, the Earth will be over-crowded, with no energy resources left

  13. Without a new abundant source of energy Human civilization cannot continue to flourish. Only 1 good possibility: Fusion Energy from Plasma Reactors

  14. The Fusion Process

  15. Collisions in a Plasma The hotter the plasma is heated, the more energetic are the collisions

  16. Nuclear Fusion If a Collision is sufficiently energetic, nuclear fusion will occur

  17. Isotopes of hydrogen- Fuel of Fusion

  18. Release of energy in Fusion1H2 + 1H3 2He4 + 0n1 + 17.6 MeV

  19. Conversion of mass into Energy

  20. Fusion Energy Equivalent • 1 thimble heavy water, extracted from 50 cups of water 50 cups water

  21. Summary of Conditions Technological Targets: • T> 100 million K (10keV) • nt>1021 m-3-sec Two approaches: n=1020 m-3, confined t=10s (low density, long-lived plasma) or : n=1031 m-3, confined 10-10s(super-high density, pulsed plasma) Combined: ntT>1022m-3-sec-keV

  22. Containing the Hot Plasma Long-lived low-density Confinement Pulsed High Density Confinement Continuous Confinement

  23. Low Density, Long-lived Approach (Magnetic Compression) Tokamak • Electric currents for heating • Magnetic fields in special configuration for stability

  24. Schematic of Tokamak

  25. Magnetic Yoke to induce Plasma Current Field Coils to Produce suitable Magnetic Field Configuration

  26. JET (Joint European Torus) • Project successfully completed January 2000

  27. Inside JET

  28. JET X-Section

  29. Energy confinement time t scales as some functions of: • Plasma current Ip • Major Radius R • Minor radius ‘a’ • Toroidal Magnetic Field B scaling law: t~Ipa Rb ag Bl indices a,b,g,l all positive To achieve sufficient value of ntT requires: scaling of present generation of Tokamaks upwards in terms of: Ip, R, ‘a’ and B.

  30. Fusion Temperature attained Fusion confinement one step away Needs x10 to reach ITER Needs another 2x to reach Power Plant

  31. International Collaboration to develop Nuclear Fusion Energy-ITER • 1985- Geneva Superpower Summit: • Reagan (US) & Gorbachev (Soviet Union) agreed on project to develop new cleaner, sustainable source of energy- Fusion energy • ITER project was born • Initial signatories: former Soviet Union, USA, European Union (via EURATOM) & Japan • Joined by P R China & R Korea in 2003 & India 2005 • ITER Agreement- signed in November 2006

  32. ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor)

  33. ITERA more detailed drawing

  34. Systems: Magnets: Ten thousand tons of magnets: 18 extremely powerful superconducting Toroidal Field & 6 Poloidal Field coils;a Central Solenoid, and a set of Correction coils: magnetically confine, shape and control the plasma inside the toroidal chamber

  35. Vacuum & Cryogenics Vacuum vessel: Volume=1400 m3Surrounding Cryostat vacuum jacket (not shown): Volume=8500 m3; Total vacuum volume~10,000 m3Largest vacuum volumes ever built; use mechanical & cryogenic pumpsVacuum vessel is double-walled with water flowing between the walls

  36. Associated with the vacuum vessel, advanced technological features include the following: • The Blanket: covers the interior surfaces of the Vacuum Vessel, provides shielding to the Vessel and the superconducting Magnets from the heat and neutron fluxes of the fusion reaction. The neutrons are slowed down in the blanket, their K.E. is transformed into heat energy and collected by coolants. This energy will be used for electrical power production. One of the most critical and technically challenging components: together with the divertor it directly faces the hot plasma. • Tritium breeding modules-in the first wall behind the front cover of the blanmket Breeding modules will be used to test materials for Tritium Breeding. A future fusion power plant will be required to breed all of its own Tritium. • The Divertor The Divertor is situated along the bottom of the Vacuum Vessel, its function is to extract heat and Helium ash — the products of the fusion reaction — and other impurities from the plasma, in effect acting like a giant exhaust pipe. It will comprise two main parts: a supporting structure made primarily from stainless steel and the plasma facing component, weighing about 700 tons. The plasma facing component will be made of Tungsten, a high-refractory material.

  37. BLANKET: covers the interior surfaces of the Vacuum Vessel, provides shielding to the vessel & the superconducting magnets from the heat and neutron flux of the fusion reactionModular wall: 440 segments each 1x1.5m weighing 5 tons ; surface facing the plasma is plated with Berylium

  38. Divertor: Is placed at bottom of the vacuum chamber To remove waste gases from the D-T reaction; and to recover the heat from this waste gas. The surface temperature of the divertor goes up to 3000 C; surface cover will be composite carbon or tungsten

  39. An extensive diagnostic system (50 individual systems) installed to provide t measurements: control, evaluate & optimize plasma performance. Include measurements of temperature, density, impurity concentration, and particle &energy confinement times.

  40. Cryostat: Large stainless steel structure surrounding the vacuum vessel & superconducting magnets, providing a supercooled vacuum jacket. Double wall, space between filled with pressurised He, as a thermal barrier.This is a huge structure: 31m tall x 37m wide; with openings for access to vacuum chamber, cooling systems, magnets, blanket and divertor

  41. Plasma Heating • The temperatures inside the ITER Tokamak must reach 150 million C — ten times hotter than the Sun’s core- & be sustained in a controlled way in order to extract energy. The plasma in the vacuum vessel is produced and heated by a current induced by transformer action using a central solenoid (inner poloidal) coil, as primary of a transformer; the toroidal plasma current forms the secondary of the transformer Then 3 sources of external heating are used to provide the input heating power of 50 MW required to bring the plasma to the necessary temperature. 1. neutral beam injection 2. ion cyclotron heating & 3. electron cyclotron heating.

  42. A "burning plasma" is achieved –in which the energy of the Helium from the fusion reaction is enough to maintain the plasma temperature. The external heating is then switched off. The plasma fusion burn continues.

  43. Cooling and heat Transfer

  44. ITER Construction has now started in Cadarache, France First plasma planned 2018 First D-T planned 2022

  45. Q>10 and Beyond ITER : to demonstrate: possible to produce commercial energy from fusion.Q= ratio of fusion power to input power. Q ≥ 10 represents the scientific goal of ITER : to deliver 10x the power it consumes. From 50 MW input power to 500 MW of fusion power - first fusion experiment to produce net energy. Beyond ITER will be DEMO (early 2030’s), demonstration fusion power plant which will put fusion power into the grid as early as 2040

  46. FIRE: Incorporates Many Advanced Features

  47. Potential Next Step Fusion Burning Experiments

  48. The other approach: Pulsed Super-high Density (Inertial Compression) • Radiation Compression

  49. Pulsed Fusion: Radiation Compression • Radiation PressureCompression:Ignition:Burn: • e.g. powerful lasers fuel is compressed by density of fuel core Thermonuclear fusion • beamed from all rocket-like blow-off of reaches 1000 times spreads rapidly through • directions onto D-T hot surface material density of water super-compressed fuel • pellet (0.1mm radius) & ignites yielding many times • at 100 million K input energy

  50. Cross-sectional view of the KOYO-F fast ignition reactor (Norimatsu et al.)

More Related