The Influence of Reactor Operations on the Design and Performance of Tokamaks with Solid-Breeder Blankets

Operational aspects of a model tokamak system with a solid-breeder blanket are presented. The model blanket is an evolution of the STARFIRE and BCSS design studies. Full-power reactor operation is at a neutron wall loading of 5 MW/m² and a surface heat flux of 1 MW/m². The blanket is a pressurized steel module with bare beryllium rods and low-activation HT-9-(9-C-) clad LiA10₂ rods. The helium coolant pressure is 5 MPa, entering the module at 297°C and exiting at 550°C. The system power output is rated at 1000 MW(e). In this paper, we present our findings on various operational scenarios and their impact on system design. We first start with the salient aspects of operational physics. Time-dependent analyses of the blanket and balance of plant are then presented.