DEMO represents a fundamental step between ITER and a commercial reactor. Its main aim is to demonstrate the capability of producing electricity and operate with a closed fuel-cycle. In parallel tothe studies to explore the technology feasibility of key parts, there is also the need of others addressed at improving the plant RAMI and contributing to the overall assessment of the technical and economic viability of commercial fusion. With specific reference to the electrical power plant, the design solutions mainly adopted in the last decades need to be reconsidered now at least for two main reasons; the first is that the requirements for DEMO are more demanding, because the power peaks envisaged are significantly higher than in ITER and the handling of the generated and recirculated power poses issues not experienced in previous experimental devices, neither they will be in ITER. The other reason is that the continuous progress in the field of power semiconductors and converter topologies together with the decreasing of their cost could make more attractive, in perspective, different design solutions with respect to traditional ones. In DEMO, the Plant Electrical System (PES) is one of the largest systems; its scope covers the electrical power generation and the Power Supply (PS) systems necessary for supplying all the plant loads. The studies conducted so far have been addressed to well understand, on the one hand the specific design challenges with respect to an equivalent system for a fission power plant and on the other hand the additional issues with respect to the ITER electrical system. In order to satisfy the power needs for the DEMO operation, minimizing the request of contribution from the electrical grid, and in particular high peaks of active power and huge amount of reactive power, R&D has been launched to explore suitable electrical/magnetic energy storage systems and advanced power converter topologies to maximize the energy exchange within the plant. This talk will give an overview of the DEMO PES main requirements and system architecture, of the progress of the studies conducted so far, highlighting the main issues to be faced, the paths taken to address them and thepreliminary results achieved.
The DEMO Plant Electrical System: Issues and Perspective
Gaio E;
2019
Abstract
DEMO represents a fundamental step between ITER and a commercial reactor. Its main aim is to demonstrate the capability of producing electricity and operate with a closed fuel-cycle. In parallel tothe studies to explore the technology feasibility of key parts, there is also the need of others addressed at improving the plant RAMI and contributing to the overall assessment of the technical and economic viability of commercial fusion. With specific reference to the electrical power plant, the design solutions mainly adopted in the last decades need to be reconsidered now at least for two main reasons; the first is that the requirements for DEMO are more demanding, because the power peaks envisaged are significantly higher than in ITER and the handling of the generated and recirculated power poses issues not experienced in previous experimental devices, neither they will be in ITER. The other reason is that the continuous progress in the field of power semiconductors and converter topologies together with the decreasing of their cost could make more attractive, in perspective, different design solutions with respect to traditional ones. In DEMO, the Plant Electrical System (PES) is one of the largest systems; its scope covers the electrical power generation and the Power Supply (PS) systems necessary for supplying all the plant loads. The studies conducted so far have been addressed to well understand, on the one hand the specific design challenges with respect to an equivalent system for a fission power plant and on the other hand the additional issues with respect to the ITER electrical system. In order to satisfy the power needs for the DEMO operation, minimizing the request of contribution from the electrical grid, and in particular high peaks of active power and huge amount of reactive power, R&D has been launched to explore suitable electrical/magnetic energy storage systems and advanced power converter topologies to maximize the energy exchange within the plant. This talk will give an overview of the DEMO PES main requirements and system architecture, of the progress of the studies conducted so far, highlighting the main issues to be faced, the paths taken to address them and thepreliminary results achieved.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
