Finite element analysis of thermo-fluid-mechanical behaviors of lithium cooled blanket of fusion reactor UWMAK-III

This paper concerns the finite element analysis of thermo-fluid-mechanical behaviors of liquid lithium blanket in the fusion power plant design. Taking UWMAK-III as an example, magnetohydrodynamic equations are simplified with the help of the nondimensional numbers. Temperature field in the whole region of blanket is solved simultaneously using 2-D and 1-D elements for fluid and shell regions, respectively. In the structural analysis, we use straight beam elements in approximating the geometry of the blanket. It is found that local bending moments are considerable near the geometrical discontinuities of the first wall. It is also found that there is the possibility of the blockade of the coolant channel due to deformation of the baffle caused by MHD pressure drop. (author)