Liquid lithium first walls for electromagnetic control of plasmas in fusion power reactor environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9633751-B2
Application number	US-201113306643-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2011
Priority date	Apr 1, 2011
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus are disclosed for liquid lithium first walls for electromagnetic control of plasmas in fusion power reactor environments. In particular, the method involves installing at least one layer of at least one tile on the surface area of the internal walls of the reactor chamber. A portion of the tile(s) facing the interior of the reactor chamber includes a plurality of channels. The method further involves applying an electric charge to the liquid lithium. Further, the method involves circulating the liquid lithium throughout the interior network of the tile(s) to allow for the liquid lithium to flow into the channels and to reach the external surface of the tile(s) that faces the interior of the reactor chamber. In some embodiments, the method also involves installing at least one magnetic coil between the tile(s) and the surface area of the internal walls of the reactor chamber.

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 layer of at least one porous open-cell tile on the surface area of the internal walls of the reactor chamber,
wherein a portion of the at least one tile facing an interior of the reactor chamber is divided into a plurality of channels; and
applying an electric charge to the liquid lithium;
flowing the liquid lithium into an interior network of open cells of the at least one tile;
circulating the liquid lithium through the interior network of the at least one tile via at least one of the open cells to allow for the liquid lithium to seep from the interior network of the open cells to the channels on an external surface of the at least one tile that faces the interior of the reactor chamber; and
outputting the circulated liquid lithium from the at least one tile.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interior network of the at least one tile and the channels of the at least one tile are manufactured from a high-temperature resistant, porous open-cell material.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the high-temperature resistant, porous open-cell material is a ceramic foam, and
wherein the channels are hydraulically and electrically separated from one another.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tile is manufactured from a high-temperature resistant, porous open-cell material.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises installing at least one magnetic coil between the at least one tile and the surface area of the internal walls of the reactor chamber.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one voltage source is used to provide the electric charge.

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 includes an input plenum,
wherein the liquid lithium is inputted into the at least one tile via the input plenum.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the input plenum is a hollow piece of metal.

10. 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.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the output plenum is a hollow piece of metal.

12. 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.

13. A system for maintaining liquid lithium on a surface area of internal walls of a reactor chamber, the system comprising:
at least one porous open-cell tile, wherein a portion of the at least one tile facing an interior of the reactor chamber is divided into a plurality of channels; and
the reactor chamber, wherein at least one layer of 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 allows for electrically charged liquid lithium to be flowed into an interior network of open cells of the at least one tile,
wherein the at least one tile further allows for the liquid lithium to be circulated throughout the interior network of the at least one tile via at least one of the open cells to allow for the liquid lithium to seep from the interior network of the open cells to the channels on an external surface of the at least one tile that faces the interior of the reactor chamber, and
wherein the at least one tile further allows for the circulated liquid lithium to be outputted from the at least one tile.

14. 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;
a plurality of channels; and
an interior network of open cells in an interior of the tile for circulating electrically charged liquid lithium within the interior network of the tile via at least one of the open cells to allow for the liquid lithium to seep from the interior network of the open cells to the channels on an external surface of the at least one tile that faces an interior of the reactor chamber.

Assignees

• Weaver Thomas Lyman
• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Weaver Thomas Lyman

Classifications

• G21B1/13 Primary

  First wall; Blanket; Divertor · CPC title

• Y02E30/128

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02E30/10

  Nuclear fusion reactors · CPC title