Neutronics investigation of advanced self-cooled liquid blanket systems in helical reactor

Neutronics investigations have been conducted in the design activity of the helical-type reactor Force Free Helical Reactor (FFHR2) adopting Flibe-cooled and Li-cooled advanced liquid blanket systems. In this study, comprehensive investigations and geometry modifications related to the tritium breeding ratios (TBRs), neutron shielding performance and neutron wall loading on the first walls in FFHR2 have been performed by improving the three-dimensional (3D) neutronics calculation system developed for non-axisymmetric helical designs. The total TBRs obtained after modifying the blanket dimensions indicated that all the advanced blanket systems proposed for FFHR2 would achieve adequate tritium self-sufficiency by dimension adjustment and optimization of structures in the breeder layers. However, it appeared that the most important neutronics issue in the present helical blanket configuration was suppression of neutron streaming through the divertor pumping areas and reflection from support structures for protection of poloidal and helical coils. Evaluation of neutron wall loading on the first walls indicated that the peaking factor would be moderated as low as 1.2 by the toroidal and helical effect of the helical-shaped plasma distribution in the helical reactor. (author)