[en] The purpose of the ALPS program is to identify and evaluate advanced limiter/diverter systems that will enhance the attractiveness of fusion power. The highest priority goals at present are achieving high power density, up to 50 MW/m², and showing compatibility of plasma-facing surfaces with plasma operation. Personnel representing a wide range of disciplines from a number of institutions are engaged in the program, where an evaluation phase of the program is planned for three years. Successful identification of promising concepts in the evaluation phase should lead to an R and D phase that includes proof-of-principle experiments

[en] A detailed design of a limiter/vacuum system for plasma impurity control and exhaust has been developed for the STARFIRE tokamak power plant. It is shown that the limiter/vacuum concept is a very attractive option for power reactors. It is relatively simple and inexpensive and deserves serious experimental verification

[en] The self-cooled lithium blanket concept with a vanadium structure offers a potential for high performance with attractive safety and environmental features. Based on blanket design studies, it became apparent that electrically insulating duct walls would be required to reduce the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) pressure drop for liquid metal-cooled blankets for high magnetic field fusion devices. As a result, development of insulator coatings was recommended as the most appropriate approach for resolving this issue. Oxides such as CaO, Y₂O₃, BeO, MgO, MgAl₂O₄, and Y₃Al₂O₁₂ and nitrides such as AlN, BN and Si₃N₂ were initially considered potential candidate coating materials. Based on results of scoping studies, CaO and AlN have been selected as primary candidates for further development. Progress on the development of CaO and AlN coatings, including in-situ formation and electrical properties measurements, are summarized in this paper

[en] A one dimensional computer code has been developed to examine the lifetime of first wall and impurity control components. The code incorporates the operating and design parameters, the material characteristics, and the appropriate failure criteria for the individual components. The major emphasis of the modelling effort has been to calculate the temperature-stress-strain-radiation effects history of a component so that the synergystic effects between sputtering erosion, swelling, creep, fatigue, and crack growth can be examined. The general forms of the property equations are the same for all materials in order to provide the greatest flexibility for materials selection in the code. The code is capable of determining the behavior of a plate, composed of either a single or dual material structure, that is either totally constrained or constrained from bending but not from expansion. The code has been utilized to analyze the first walls for FED/INTOR and DEMO

[en] Poloidal divertors and pumped limiters are the leading candidates for impurity and particle control systems for ignited tokamaks. Such systems must be able to provide heat removal and He pumping while satisfying the requirements for minimum plasma contamination by impurities, reasonable component lifetime (α 1 year), and minimum size and cost and maximum simplicity. The advantage of poloidal divertor systems is that they offer the possibility of low sputtering rates for the first wall components and modest pumping requirements due to the formation of a cool, dense plasma near the collector plates. Estimates made as part of the INTOR study indicate that the sputtering rates for pumped limiters could be unacceptably large. A engineering design study of a poloidal divertor system for an ignited tokamak indicates that such a system offers a reasonable solution to the impurity and particle control problem at only a modest increase in total reactor cost (about 7%) and complexity compared to a pumped limiter system

[en] The main advantages of liquid metal breeders Li or PbLi, compared to solid breeders are their higher thermal conductivity, the potential for tritium self sufficiency without beryllium neutron multiplier, the immunity to irradiation damage, and the possibility to extract tritium outside the blanket. The liquid metals can serve either as breeder only, cooled by helium or water, or as breeder and coolant at the same time, circulated relatively fast to the external heat exchanger for heat removal. Both liquid metal breeders can be used in helium cooled and in self-cooled blankets, but in water cooled blankets only the lead-lithium alloy is feasible for safety reasons. A comparison is made here in regard to neutronics, magneto-hydro-dynamics, compatibility with structural material, heat extraction system, tritium control, safety, and required R ampersand D work

[en] The successful operation of the impurity-control system of the FED/INTOR will depend to a large extent on the ability of its various components to withstand the imposed thermal and mechanical loads. The present paper explores the thermal and stress analyses aspects of the limiter and divertor operation of the FED/INTOR in its reference configuration. Three basic limitations governing the design of the limiter and the divertor are the maximum allowable metal temperature, the maximum allowable stress intensity and the allowable fatigue life of the structural material. Other important design limitations stemming from sputtering, evaporation, melting during disruptions, etc. are not considered in the present paper. The materials considered in the present analysis are a copper and a vanadium alloy for the structural material and graphite, beryllium, beryllium oxide, tungsten and silicon carbide for the coating or tile material

[en] Ceramic superconductors operating near liquid nitrogen temperature may experience higher heating rates without losing stability, compared conventional superconductors. This will permit cable design with less stabilizer, reducing fabrication costs for large fusion magnets. Magnet performance is studied for different operating current densities in the superconductor, and cost benefits to commercial tokamak reactors are estimated. It appears that 10 kA /center dot/ cm/sup /minus/2/ (at 77 K and /approximately/10 T) is a target current density which must be achieved in order for the ceramic superconductors to compete with conventional materials. At current densities around 50 kA /center dot/ cm/sup /minus/2/ most potential benefits have already been gained, as magnet structural steel begins to dominate the cost at this point. For a steady state reactor reductions of /approximately/7% are forecast for the overall capital cost of the power plant in the best case. An additional /approximately/3% cost saving is possible for pulsed tokamaks. 9 refs., 4 figs., 8 tabs

[en] Ceramic superconductors operating near liquid nitrogen temperature may experience higher heating rates without losing stability, compared to conventional superconductors. This will permit cable design with less stabilizer, reducing fabrication costs for large fusion magnets. Magnet performance is studied for different operating current densities in the superconductor, and cost benefits to commercial tokamak reactors are estimated. It appears that 10 kA . cm^-2 (at 77 K and ∼10 T) is a target current density which must be achieved in order for the ceramic superconductors to compete with conventional materials. At current densities around 50 kA . cm^-2 most potential benefits have already been gained, as magnet structural steel begins to dominate the cost at this point. For a steady state reactor reductions of ∼7% are forecast for the overall capital cost of the power plant in the best case. An additional ∼3% cost saving is possible for pulsed tokamaks. 9 refs., 4 figs., 8 tabs

[en] Key features of fusion energy relate primarily to potential advantages associated with safety and environmental considerations and the near endless supply of fuel. However, high-performance fusion power systems will be required in order to be an economically competitive energy option. As in most energy systems, the operating limits of structural materials pose a primary constraint to the performance of fusion power systems. In the case of fusion power, the first-wall/blanket system will have a dominant impact on both economic and safety/environmental attractiveness. This paper presents an assessment of the influence of key candidate structural material properties on performance limits for fusion first-wall blanket applications. Key issues associated with interactions of the structural materials with the candidate coolant/breeder materials are discussed