Research Needs for Magnetic Fusion Energy Sciences - US Burning ...

developing designs and systems models for all aspects of the plant, from plasma control to net
power production, as an integrated team effort is essential to reveal key trade-off results and constraints,
and to identify the design space parameters leading to the most attractive possible design.
This integrated advanced design activity was identified as a key component needed to advance
the areas of Rami and safety and environment because it is only in the context of detailed
designs that these aspects of fusion power can be fully evaluated.
Figure 1 illustrates some of the key fusion fuel cycle and power extraction processes that must
be efficiently integrated into a working power plant. a comprehensive design study would include
many other physical systems such as shielding, coils, power supplies, structures, etc. table 1 lists
aspects of the plant that must be evaluated in an integrated design study, including those related
to necessary features for attractive fusion power (good economics, high availability, safe, low environmental
impact).
2. Addressing RAMI research needs. achieving high availability on demo requires an
integrated design that promotes reliability and maintainability. high-level design choices will
have to be made taking into account reliability and maintainability impacts. a maintainable
configuration for the fusion core must be developed, perhaps using large, integrated in-vessel
component modules that are time efficient for remote exchange between the reactor and hot cell,
with off-line refurbishment performed in the hot cell. standardization of components, in-service
monitoring of equipment health, reliability and maintainability-centered design, component
and subsystem redundancy, and fault tolerance also promote high availability. The underlying
problem is that any power core in-vessel failure, regardless of how small, that causes the plasma
to shut down and requires an in-vessel intervention to repair, will initiate a shutdown, repair, and
startup sequence that is disastrous to plant availability. The demo integrated design activity must
address the remote handling systems and hot cell facilities. Fusion facilities (such as FnsF), which
are proposed to test reactor prototypical in-vessel components, also provide a needed opportunity
to develop and test remotely maintainable in-vessel components using reactor remote handling
systems and hot cell facilities.
The integrated design activity would provide needed guidance for fusion development:
• studies would be performed to determine the R&d activities and the cost and schedule
required to meet the demo availability goal, building on the scientific basis for component
reliability engineering. Results would be used to plan development and test activities.
• trade studies would be conducted to evaluate configuration options and component design
alternatives, and would select those options that promote performance, availability, safety,
environmental and cost objectives. Results would be fed back to supporting experiments
and test activities to provide needed focus.
• a clear map for coordinating design integration and development and testing activities,
and downselecting between design options, would be developed and would include risk
mitigation features.
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