Complex shape structure for liquid lithium first walls of fusion power reactor environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10734120-B2
Application number	US-201715412593-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2017
Priority date	Apr 1, 2011
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus are disclosed for a complex shape structure for liquid lithium first walls of fusion power reactor environments. In particular, the method involves installing at least one tile on the surface area of the internal walls of the reactor chamber. The tile(s) is manufactured from a high-temperature resistant, porous open-cell material. The method further involves flowing liquid lithium into the tile(s). Further, the method involves circulating the liquid lithium throughout the interior network of the tile(s) to allow for the liquid lithium to reach the external surface of the tile(s) that faces the interior of the reactor chamber. In addition, the method involves outputting the circulated liquid lithium from the tile(s). In one or more embodiments, the reactor chamber is employed in a fusion reactor. In some embodiments, the tile is manufactured from a ceramic material or a metallic foam.

First claim

I claim:

1. A system for maintaining liquid lithium on a surface area of internal walls of a reactor chamber, the system comprising:
at least one tile, wherein the at least one tile is manufactured from a high-temperature resistant, porous open-cell material comprising an interior network,
wherein the at least one tile comprises an input plenum and an output plenum, and
wherein the liquid lithium is inputted into the at least one tile via the input plenum, and contaminated liquid lithium is outputted from the at least one tile via the output plenum; and
the reactor chamber, wherein the at least one tile is installed on the surface area of the internal walls of the reactor chamber,
wherein the at least one tile is configured for liquid lithium to flow into the at least one tile, and for the liquid lithium to circulate throughout the interior network of the at least one tile such that the liquid lithium reaches an external surface of the at least one tile that faces the interior of the reactor chamber to absorb contaminates from plasma in the reactor chamber, and
wherein the at least one tile is further configured for the contaminated liquid lithium from the external surface of the at least one tile to circulate throughout the interior network of the at least one tile, and to output the contaminated liquid lithium from the interior network of the at least one tile.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a fusion reactor comprising the reactor chamber.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the high-temperature resistant, porous material is a ceramic material.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the ceramic material is Boeing Rigid Insulation (BRI) material.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the high-temperature resistant, porous material is a metallic foam.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tile comprises at least one open cell in the interior network of the at least one tile,
wherein the at least one open cell allows for the liquid lithium to be circulated throughout an interior of the at least one tile.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tile has one of an irregular shape or a regular shape.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tile has one of a constant porosity or a varied porosity in a direction extending from the external surface of the tile to an opposing internal surface of the tile.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the input plenum is a hollow piece of metal.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the output plenum is a hollow piece of metal.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one tile comprises at least one side area manufactured from a non-porous material.

12. A tile for maintaining liquid lithium on a surface area of internal walls of a reactor chamber, the tile comprising:
a high-temperature resistant, porous open-cell material comprising an interior network;
at least one open cell in the interior network of the tile for circulating the liquid lithium within an interior of the tile;
an input plenum, wherein the liquid lithium is inputted into the tile via the input plenum; and
an output plenum, wherein contaminated liquid lithium is outputted from the tile via the output plenum,
wherein the at least one tile is configured for the liquid lithium to circulate throughout the interior network of the at least one tile such that the liquid lithium reaches an external surface of the at least one tile to absorb contaminates from plasma in the reactor chamber, and
wherein the at least one tile is further configured for the contaminated liquid lithium from the external surface of the at least one tile to circulate throughout the interior network of the at least one tile, and to output the contaminated liquid lithium from the interior network of the at least one tile.

13. The tile of claim 12 , wherein the high-temperature resistant, porous material is a ceramic material.

14. The tile of claim 13 , wherein the ceramic material is Boeing Rigid Insulation (BRI) material.

15. The tile of claim 12 , wherein the high-temperature resistant, porous material is a metallic foam.

16. The tile of claim 12 , wherein the tile has one of an irregular shape or a regular shape.

17. The tile of claim 12 , wherein the tile has one of a constant porosity or a varied porosity in a direction extending from the external surface of the tile to an opposing internal surface of the tile.

18. The tile of claim 12 , wherein the input plenum is a hollow piece of metal.

19. The tile of claim 12 , wherein the tile comprises at least one side area manufactured from a non-porous material.

20. The tile of claim 12 , wherein the output plenum is a hollow piece of metal.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Weaver Thomas Lyman

Classifications

• G21B1/13 Primary

  First wall; Blanket; Divertor · CPC title

• Y02E30/10

  Nuclear fusion reactors · CPC title

• Y02E30/128

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic