F2-3 using the shield for thermal energy storage in PULSAR

The PULSAR design study is evaluating the pulsed, inductively driven tokamak power plant to assess whether economies can be attained which-are more favorable than those of the steady-state, non-inductively driven tokamak. Considerations of market acceptance and component fatigue lead to the requirement of thermal energy storage (TES) to maintain steady-state power during the cyclic interruptions of fusion power production (open-quotes dwell phaseclose quotes). A major focus of the Study has been to identify and design technically viable TES systems for helium-cooled and liquid lithium self-cooled plants which are economically attractive, safe and environmentally benign. Several basic constraints impact the selection of the TES system. The system must be capable of discharging 2.5 GW during a dwell phase of approximately two minutes (determined by systems code analysis), thus have a capacity of at least 300 GJ. Coolant must be discharged from the TES at the static, burn phase temperature to minimize thermal stress in the steam generator. Several TES options were evaluated: Storage of heat transport working fluid, phase change media and sensible heat storage. Sensible heat storage in the outer shield was selected for PULSAR