Izjemoma v petek/Dr. Boštjan Končar (IJS): How to efficiently transfer the heat in a fusion reactor

Dr. Boštjan Končar, Institut „Jožef Stefan“

How to efficiently transfer the heat in a fusion reactor

Povzetek / Abstract:
The energy source in the fusion reactor is the hot ionized
plasma at 150 million K, confined in a torus-like
magnetic configuration. The required strong magnetic
field is provided by superconducting magnets, which are
just about a meter away and need to be cooled to
cryogenic temperature of 4.5 K. A big challenge is how
to efficiently transfer the fusion energy, without
damaging reactor components, and convert it in into
electricity. To remove the “fusion ash” some of the
energy is diverted into the divertor at high incident heat
flux. Efficient heat removal options in the divertor will be
discussed. The concept of thermal shielding of magnets
will be presented as well.