Nuclear design of a heliotron-H fusion power reactor

Abstract

Nuclear analysis was carried out for the heliotron-H fusion power reactor employing anl=2 helical heliotron field. The neutronics aspects examined were (a) tritium breeding capability, (b) shielding effectiveness for the superconducting magnet (SCM), and (c) induced activity after shutdown. In this reactor design of the heliotron-H, the space available for the blanket and shield is limited due to the reactor geometry. Thus, some parametric survey calculations were performed to satisfy the design requirements. The nucleonic design features of the heliotron-H are as follows. An adequate tritium breeding ratio of 1.17 is obtained when a 10-cm thick Pb neutron multiplier and a 40-cm thick Li₂O breeding blanket are used. In this case, the total nuclear energy deposition is 16.10 MeV per 14.06 MeV incident neutron. The performance of the SCM is assured during ∼2 yr of continuous operation using a 20-cm thick tungsten shield. Biological dose rate behind the SCM at 1 day after shutdown is too high for hands-on maintenance.