Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Simulations for Fusion Reactors

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Process Control and Monitoring".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2022) | Viewed by 3525

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Polytechnic University of Turin, 10129 Turin, Italy
Interests: computational fluid dynamic; liquid metals; fusion reactors; divertors, power exhaust; plasma physics; tokamaks

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is widely recognized that the development of energy from nuclear fusion is entering a new era. The ITER experiment should start operating in this decade, and various efforts are quickly proceeding to the design of a demonstration fusion reactor, expected to show the production of electricity in the second half of the century. Additionally, energy companies are starting to consider nuclear fusion as a goal close enough to attract private investors. In short, we are in the process of transforming a purely scientific process into a mixed scientific/economical project with exciting development perspectives.

In this framework, it will be critical to develop computational tools including the most advanced scientific knowledge and, at the same time, compliant with industry-standard software quality criteria. Such a process is currently starting. We hope that this Special Issue will help to bring together experiences and points of view on the development of CFD software for the upcoming generation of fusion devices, and to stimulate constructive discussion and collaboration among researchers in the field. The issue will focus on the following topics:

  • Turbulence models in CFD codes for fusion applications;
  • Software quality assurance in CFD codes in the fusion community;
  • Validation of fusion computational models and benchmark with experimental data;
  • Application of artificial intelligence techniques in connection with CFD software;
  • Inter-relation with non-standard CFD techniques (Monte Carlo, particle in cell, gyro-kinetic, etc.);
  • Prediction of a fusion reactor environment: what can be done and what is still missing.

Authors are invited and welcome to submit original research papers, reviews, and short communications.

Prof. Fabio Subba
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Tokamaks
  • Nuclear fusion
  • Plasma physics
  • Transport
  • Turbulence
  • Monte Carlo
  • Verification and validation
  • Gyro-kinetic modeling
  • Particle-in-cell modeling
  • Artificial Intelligence

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 4494 KiB  
Article
Development and Application of SONIC Divertor Simulation Code to Power Exhaust Design of Japanese DEMO Divertor
by Nobuyuki Asakura, Kazuo Hoshino, Yuki Homma, Yoshiteru Sakamoto and Joint Special Design Team for Fusion DEMO
Processes 2022, 10(5), 872; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10050872 - 28 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1962
Abstract
An integrated divertor simulation code, SONIC, has been developed in order to predict a self-consistent transport solution of the plasma, neutral and impurities in the scrape-off layer (SOL) and divertor. SONIC code has contributed to determining the divertor design and power handling scenarios [...] Read more.
An integrated divertor simulation code, SONIC, has been developed in order to predict a self-consistent transport solution of the plasma, neutral and impurities in the scrape-off layer (SOL) and divertor. SONIC code has contributed to determining the divertor design and power handling scenarios for the Japanese (JA) fusion demonstration (DEMO) reactor. Radiative cooling scenario of Ar impurity seeding and the divertor performance have been demonstrated to evaluate the power exhaust scenarios with Psep = 230–290 MW. The simulation identified the decay length of the total parallel heat flux profile as being broader than the electron one, because of the ion convective transport from the outer divertor to the upstream SOL, produced by the plasma flow reversal. The flow reversal also reduced the impurity retention in the outer divertor, which may produce the partial detachment. Divertor operation margin of key power exhaust parameters to satisfy the peak qtarget ≤ 10 MWm−2 was determined in the low nesep of 2 − 3 × 1019 m−3 under severe conditions such as reducing radiation loss fraction, i.e., f*raddiv = (Pradsol + Praddiv)/Psep and diffusion coefficients (χ and D). The divertor geometry and reference parameters (f*raddiv ~ 0.8, χ = 1 m2s−1, D = 0.3 m2s−1) were consistent with the low nesep operation of the JA DEMO concepts. For either severe assumption of f*raddiv ~ 0.7 or χ and D to their half values, higher nesep operation was required. In addition, recent investigations of physics models (temperature-gradient force on impurity, photon transport, neutral–neutral collision) under the DEMO relevant SOL and divertor condition are presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Simulations for Fusion Reactors)
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