Numerical simulation of magnetohydrodynamic flows and its application to in-vessel components of a fusion reactor

Nuclear fusion, the process that could potentially bring clean, abundant, and virtually limitless power generation on Earth, has been a subject of intense research and exploration for decades. Among the scientific difficulties are breeding blankets, which play a crucial role in harnessing the energy...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Walkington, Marcel
Tipo de recurso: tesis de maestría
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repositorio:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/397910
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/397910
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Nuclear fusion
Magnetohydrodynamics
nuclear fusion
magnetohydrodynamic
OpenFOAM
Foam-Extend
Hartmann numbers
Fusió nuclear
Magnetohidrodinàmica
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Energies::Energia nuclear
Descripción
Sumario:Nuclear fusion, the process that could potentially bring clean, abundant, and virtually limitless power generation on Earth, has been a subject of intense research and exploration for decades. Among the scientific difficulties are breeding blankets, which play a crucial role in harnessing the energy generated during the fusion process. This study focuses on the analysis and exploration of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows within the context of nuclear fusion breeding blankets. The thesis is structured into two sections: the first section is dedicated to the theory behind MHD, while the second section focuses on numerical simulations using developed MHD formulations. The numerical code employed in this thesis predominantly utilizes the phi-formulation, aligning with common practices in research applications. OpenFOAM and Foam-Extend are the primary tools used to simulate the MHD phenomena, with cases run for Hunt and Shercliff case setups. Furthermore, the cases are extended to higher Hartmann numbers, demonstrating excellent agreement with the analytical solutions for Hartmann numbers up to Ha=2500. Additionally, a small application to a U-bend case, representing scenarios commonly found in breeding blankets, is also presented.