Radioisotope production in a nuclear fusion tokamak

Abstract

Main characteristic of the invention is the exploitation of the very large flux of high energy neutrons generated in a nuclear fusion tokamak with beam-driven plasma for the purpose of producing radioisotopes. It specifically relates to the deployment of precursor materials into the core of a nuclear fusion tokamak with beam-driven plasma for the purpose of exposing these materials to the neutron flux generated in the plasma by the process of nuclear fusion of Deuterium (D) and Tritium (T) to generate radioactive isotopes, so-called radioisotopes. The precursor materials contained in metallic capsules are incorporated into the blankets that surround the plasma.

Description

[0001] Radioisotope production in a nuclear fusion tokamak

[0002] Technical field:

[0003] The present invention relates to the field of Physics- Nucleonics - fusion reactors - thermonuclear fusion reactors - with magneticor electric plasma confinement - tokamaks (G21 B 1 / 057).

[0004] Description:

[0005] The basic technical concept of a nuclear fusion tokamak with beam-driven plasma is described in [1], Theplasma fusion power is dominated by the reaction of the high-energyparticles injected by the neutral beam injectors (7) with the plasma particles; hence the plasma is called a beam- driven plasma. Thespecific technical concept of the tokamakthat isthe basisof this invention is shown in Figure 1 and has the following approximate dimensions and parameters: a plasma major radius (9) smaller than 3.5 m, a ratio between plasma major (9) and plasma minor radius (10) larger than 4, a nominal fusion power below 50 MW, the main magnetic coils based on superconductors, and a plasma electrical current of less than 2.5 MA that is driven after the ramp-up phase non-inductively, mainly through the tangential injection of the high-energy particles. The invention foreseesthe replacement of some of the neutron absorbing materials (3) insidethe blankets(2)thatsurround the plasma(1 ) wit h precursormaterials(4)forthe production of radioactive isotopes, herein called radioisotopes. Numerous pieces of precursor materials are contained inside metallic capsules, which are incorporated into the blankets in a manner that allows their retrieval without the removal of the blankets from the reactor core. While the nuclear fusion tokamak with beam-driven plasma is operated these materials areexposedto the intense neutron flux generated by the plasma. After a certain time, the capsules containing the precursor materials incl. the generated radioisotopes are recovered for commercial use.

[0006] Background of the invention: The principal possibility to produce radioisotopes in a nuclear fusion device with D-T plasma is presented in [2], Theauthors of [2] consider, in contrast to this invention, a conceived largefusion device called DEMOwith averyhotD-Tplasma, whosecontrol isyetto bedemonstrated.e.g.by ITER(www.iter.org).Thechallengeofestablishingthe conditions inside the plasma for D-Tfusion to occur is much smaller in a beam-driven plasma becausethe required high energyof the plasma particles is provided through external particle accelerators, the neutral beam injectors (7). Instead, in DEMOa very high plasma core temperature is required. Furthermore, the potential for the production of radioisotopes is greater in a nuclear fusion tokamak with beam-driven plasma because large parts of the inner reactor wall that is exposed to neutrons areavailable in contrast to DEMOwheremost of the inner wall must be used to breed DEMO'stritium fuel. Forthis reason, the authors of [2] consider the deployment of the precursor materials in one of DEMO'sport plugs with a comparably small surface exposedto the neutron flux. A nuclear fusion tokamak with beam-driven plasma is considered in the frame of this invention instead of a DEMOdevice also because all scientific and technical knowledge for its realization is available or can be developed with reasonable e\ orts.

[0007] Published references:

[0008]

[0001] Federici, Gianfranco. "Testing needsfor the development and qualification of a breeding blanket for DEMO."Nuclear Fusion 63.12 (2023): 125002.

[0009] [2] Pereslavtsev, R; Bachmann, C.; Elbez-Uzan, J. ;Park, J. H. Potential of Radioactive Isotopes Production in DEMOfor Commercial Use. Appl. Sci.2024, 14, 442. Brief description of the drawings:

[0010] Figurel is a vertical cross-section through the nuclear fusion tokamak with beam-driven plasma with the main tokamak systems, the plasma and the approximate tokamak vertical height.

[0011] Reference signs:

[0012] (1) Plasma

[0013] (2) Blanket

[0014] (3) Neutron absorbing materials

[0015] (4) Potential areas for deployment of metallic capsules containing precursor materials (indicative)

[0016] (5) Plasma vessel

[0017] (6) Magnet coil

[0018] (7) Neutral beam injector

[0019] (8) Reactor building

[0020] (9) Plasma major radius

[0021] (10) Plasma minor radius

Claims

Claims:1 . A nuclear fusion tokamak with beam-driven plasma that is used as a neutron source for the purpose to produce radioactive isotopes (also called radioisotopes), comprising:• A nuclear fusion tokamak with beam-driven plasma whose basic technical concept is outlined in [1 ], characterized in that• numerous pieces of precursor materials (4) contained in metallic capsules are incorporated into some of the blankets (2) for the purpose of exposing them during plasma operation to a neutron flux, which will cause the production of radioactive isotopes.

2. Anuclear fusion tokamak with beam-driven plasma according to Claim 1 , characterized in that various different precursor materials (4) can be incorporated into the blankets (2) enabling the production of a wide rangeof radioisotopes.

3. A nuclear fusion tokamak with beam-driven plasma according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the high energy of the neutrons (14 MeV) generated by the D-T fusion reaction allows the production also of such radioisotopesthat aredifficult to produce in fission reactors.

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