Application of probabilistic safety and reliability analysis for a system of fusion facility

Abstract

Fusion or thermonuclear power is a promising, literally endless source of energy. Development of fusion power is still in investigation and experimentation phases and a number of fusion facilities are under construction in Europe. Since fusion energy is innovative and fusion facilities contain unique and expensive equipment an issue of their reliability is very important from their efficiency perspective. A Reliability, Availability, Maintainability, Inspectability (RAMI) Analysis is being performed or is going to be performed in the nearest future for such fusion facili­ties as ITER and DEMO in order to ensure reliable and efficient operation for experi­ments (e. g. in ITER) or for energy production purposes (e. g. in DEMO). On the other hand, rich experience of the Reliability and Probabilistic Safety Analysis (PSA) exists in nuclear industry for fission power plants and other nuclear installations. In this article, the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) facility is mainly considered. It is a stel­larator type fusion facility under construction in the Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Greifswald, Germany (IPP). In the frame of cooperation between the IPP and the Lithuanian Energy Institute (LEI) under the European Fusion Development Agreement a pilot project of a reliability analysis of the W7-X systems was performed with a purpose to adopt NPP PSA experience for fusion facility systems. During the project a reliability analysis of a divertor target cooling circuit, which is an important system for permanent and reliable operation of in-vessel components of the W7-X, was performed.