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Effects of Pulsed Operation on the Lifetime of Turbine Rotors

Y. Nakagawa, J.E. Meyer

Fusion Science and Technology / Volume 8 / Number 1P2B / July 1985 / Pages 1783-1788

Power Conversion, Instrumentation, and Control / Proceedings of the Sixth Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy (San Francisco, California, March 3-7, 1985) / dx.doi.org/10.13182/FST85-A40019

A pulsed fusion reactor potentially influences many commercial plant design provisions. Provisions related to turbine fatigue performance are among those considered important. They are evaluated by varying several design/operating parameters, separately and in combination, to present tradeoffs among them. These parameters include pulse length and capacity of the thermal storage system. A very simple and fast running temperature/stress representation of the turbine is used for evaluations. Results for wet-steam turbines indicate that requirements for thermal storage are quite large (steam flow between 40 and 80% of full steam flow). Modeling assumptions, design options, and important operating considerations are highlighted.