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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9589678-B2
Application number	US-201113078729-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2011
Priority date	Apr 1, 2011
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

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 method for maintaining liquid lithium on a surface area of internal walls of a reactor chamber, the method comprising:
installing at least one tile on the surface area of the internal walls of the reactor chamber, wherein the at least one tile is manufactured from a high-temperature resistant, porous open-cell material comprising an internal network;
pumping the liquid lithium through the interior network of the at least one tile;
circulating the liquid lithium throughout the interior network of the at least one tile via at least one open cell to allow for the liquid lithium to seep from the interior network through the porous open-cell material to reach an external surface of the at least one tile that faces the interior of the reactor chamber, wherein the porous open-cell material retains the liquid lithium in place on the internal walls of the reactor chamber against gravity and electromagnetic forces; and
outputting the circulated liquid lithium from the at least one tile.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reactor chamber is employed in a fusion reactor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tile has an irregular shape.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tile has a regular shape.

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

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

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tile has a constant porosity.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tile has a varied porosity.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tile includes an input plenum,
wherein the liquid lithium is inputted into the at least one tile via the input plenum.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the input plenum is a hollow piece of metal.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tile includes an output plenum,
wherein the liquid lithium is outputted from the at least one tile via the output plenum.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the output plenum is a hollow piece of metal.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein a flow rate of the circulation of the liquid lithium within the interior network of the at least one tile is varied over time.

Assignees

• Weaver Thomas Lyman
• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Weaver Thomas Lyman

Classifications

• Y02E30/128

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• G21B1/13 Primary

  First wall; Blanket; Divertor · CPC title

• Y02E30/10

  Nuclear fusion reactors · CPC title