Advanced simulation and design of gas-cooled solid tungsten divertor systems
Author(s)
Lanahan, Michael Lewis
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Abstract
A critical challenge for magnetic fusion energy is the design of the divertor, which must withstand extreme
heat fluxes from the burning plasma while extracting this heat for power generation. As building and testing
prototypes is very expensive, physics-based numerical modeling offers a cost-effective pathway to evaluate
and optimize divertor designs.
This thesis presents a novel validated computational framework to model and predict the performance and
safety of a modular, helium-cooled, solid tungsten (W) T-tube divertor concept. The methodology integrates
thermal-transport computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations with thermal-structural finite-element
methods (FEM) models. These models uniquely incorporate temperature- and time-dependent properties
for state-of-the-art W alloys, explicitly including the effects of kinetic recrystallization on material integrity.
This framework establishes the T-tube’s operational limits under various realistic future fusion reactor
conditions, benchmarking achievable survivability and performance metrics for helium-cooled W divertors.
The resulting methodology provides an essential tool for satisfying plasma-physics constraints while
optimizing plant efficiency, enabling the robust assessment and optimization of divertor designs for longpulse fusion reactors
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Date
2025-08-21
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Text
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Dissertation (PhD)