A5070744553- Fusion materials and technologies
- Nuclear reactor physics and engineering
- Magnetic confinement fusion research
- Nuclear Materials and Properties
- Superconducting Materials and Applications
- Nuclear Physics and Applications
- Nuclear and radioactivity studies
- Nuclear Engineering Thermal-Hydraulics
- Particle accelerators and beam dynamics
- Graphite, nuclear technology, radiation studies
- Heat Transfer Mechanisms
- Cyclone Separators and Fluid Dynamics
- Spacecraft and Cryogenic Technologies
- Agriculture, Soil, Plant Science
- Metallurgical Processes and Thermodynamics
- Radiation Detection and Scintillator Technologies
- Heat and Mass Transfer in Porous Media
- High-Velocity Impact and Material Behavior
- Energetic Materials and Combustion
- Heat Transfer and Optimization
- Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems
- Metallurgy and Material Science
- Nuclear physics research studies
- Rocket and propulsion systems research
- Geophysical Methods and Applications
University of Palermo
2015-2024
National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development
2022
In a power plant scale fusion reactor, huge amount of thermal produced by the reaction and external heating must be exhausted through narrow area divertor targets. The targets withstand intense bombardment diverted particles where high heat fluxes are generated erosion takes place on surface. A considerable volumetric nuclear also exhausted. To cope with such an unprecedented exhaust challenge, highly efficient cooling capacity is required. Furthermore, fulfill other critical functions as...
DEMO will be a fusion power plant demonstrating the integration into grid architecture of an electric utility grid. The design conversion chain is particular importance, as it must adequately account for specifics nuclear on generation side and ensure compatibility with at all times. One special challenges foreseen pulsed operation, which affects operation entire heat transport chain. This requires time-dependant analysis different concept approaches to proof reliable efficiency obtain...
The Pre-Concept Design (PCD) of the Balance Plant (BoP) systems EU-DEMO power plant is described in this paper for both breeding blanket (BB) concepts under assessment, namely Water Cooled Lithium Lead (WCLL) BB and Helium Pebble Bed (HCPB) BB. Moreover, results a preliminary evaluation number BoP variants are discussed. This outlines steps design development, highlighting project objectives strategy their achievement very challenging requirements which include, among others, intermittent...
Since 2014 preconceptual design activities for European DEMO divertor have been conducted as an integrated, interdisciplinary R&D effort in the framework of EUROfusion Consortium. Consisting two subproject areas, 'Cassette' and 'Target', this project has objective to deliver a holistic concept together with key technological solutions materialize design. In paper, brief overview on recent results from is presented. subproject, overall cassette system engineered based load analysis...
Currently, for the EU DEMO, two Breeding Blankets (BBs) have been selected as potential candidates integration in reactor. They are Water Cooled Lithium Lead and Helium Pebble Bed BB concepts. The variants together with associated ancillary systems drive design of overall plant. Therefore, a holistic investigation issues derived by installation its has performed. related to water activation due 16N 17N isotopes impact on primary heat transfer investigated providing guidelines dedicated...
The WCLL Breeding Blanket of DEMO and the Test Module (TBM) ITER require accurate R&D activities, i.e., concept validation at a relevant scale safety demonstrations. In view this, strategic objective Water Loop (WL) facility, belonging to W-HYDRA experimental platform planned C.R. Brasimone ENEA, is twofold: conduct activities for BB validate design performances increase technical maturity level selection phases, as well support System program. Basically, facility will have capability...
Within the framework of Work Package DIV 1 – "Divertor Cassette Design and Integration" EUROfusion action, a research campaign has been jointly carried out by ENEA University Palermo to investigate thermal-hydraulic performances DEMO divertor cassette cooling system. A comparative evaluation study performed considering two different options under consideration for body coolant, namely subcooled pressurized water helium. The activity following theoretical-computational approach based on...
Within the framework of Work Package DIV 1 – "Divertor Cassette Design and Integration" EUROfusion action, a research campaign has been jointly carried out by ENEA University Palermo to investigate thermal-hydraulic performances DEMO divertor cassette cooling system. A comparative evaluation study performed considering three different options for circuit layout Plasma Facing Components (PFCs). The potential improvement in performance system, be achieved modifying layout, also assessed...
In water-cooled fusion reactors, the assessment of primary system contamination is essential for waste management, machine availability, occupational radiation exposure, and radiological hazard determination. The cooling water not only directly activated by intense neutron field but a vector significant variety gamma emitters with short to long decay half-lives. Corrosion products can be in those regions under flux circuit then released water. EU-DEMO power plant equipped Water-Cooled...
The Water-Cooled Lead Lithium (WCLL) and the Helium-Cooled Pebble Bed (HCPB) Breeding Blanket (BB) concepts are two candidates currently poised to be chosen as driver blanket for EU DEMO reactor. Nevertheless, new variants emerging with aim of overtaking potential showstoppers arisen during WCLL HCPB BB pre-conceptual design phase. Then, an intense campaign exploratory studies has been launched in investigate performances such alternative concepts. Among them, Lead-Ceramic Breeder (WLCB)...
The EU-DEMO divertor target cooling circuit is equipped with Swirl Tape (ST) inserts to improve its thermo-hydraulic performance in terms of heat transfer coefficient and critical flux. Due the presence STs, accurate 3D CFD-based thermofluid-dynamic assessments targets require a high computational cost laborious pre-processing modelling effort. To this end, cost-efficient CFD simulation technique based on an equivalent porous medium concept, namely Virtual (VST) approach, has been developed....
A DEMOnstration fusion reactor (EU-DEMO) is currently being developed by the EUROfusion consortium, in line with Horizon Europe research framework programme. This device will be first on a large scale to generate net electricity. The EU-DEMO anticipated undergo pulsed duty cycle under normal operating conditions, which could shorten qualified lifetime of main equipment due inevitable induced mechanical and thermal cycling. Furthermore, plasma control strategy envisaged for foresees potential...
As part of the activities performed by DEMO Central Team (DCT) to study alternative configurations Water-Cooled Lead Lithium (WCLL) Breeding Blanket (BB), overcome open issues that emerged at end Pre-Conceptual Design phase, a new concept, WCLL BB "double bundle" (db), was developed. This concept adopts an array db tubes poloidally distributed inside breeding zone, mimicking arrangement heat exchangers. These are coaxial pipes gap between which is filled with PbBi (or alternatively gas and...
One of the key elements for success ITER is efficient removal thermal power generated by deuterium-tritium fusion reaction within confined plasma. The Integrated Blanket ELM/VS Coils and Divertor (IBED) Primary Heat Transport System (PHTS) a pressurized, closed-loop cooling system designed to supply water in-Vessel components. To support process design IBED PHTS, thermal-hydraulic research campaign has been conducted analyse proper operation during selected operational scenarios. work...