As part of the project " Science on the Street, Knowledge and Ideas on the go", Boštjan Končar gave a one-hour lecture, where he presented research and achievements in the field of fusion power plant development to the general public in a popular way. At the lecture, which took the form of an interview, he presented the main global technological breakthroughs and challenges in the field of fusion, as well as domestic research and achievements that have emerged within the Slovenian Fusion Association and the Fusion Technology research program.
B.04 Guest lecture
COBISS.SI-ID: 61760515For the first demonstration fusion powerplant DEMO and beyond, also a liquid metal plasma-facing components are being considered. Currently, tin seems to be the most promising candidate. In order to research the tin properties, experiments are being performed in large scale experiments, such as fusion tokamak COMPASS, and Magnum-PSI. Complementary to those large-scale experiments also smaller laboratory experiments are performed in plasma labs such as ours in the Department of surface engineering at Jožef Stefan Institute. The results of our studies, focusing on the hydrogen solubility and the retention of the neutral deuterium atom in liquid tin, were published in this article and presented at an invited lecture at the ICTF & JVC 2020 conference (COBISS ID: 61247235). Our research represents an important contribution to the development of an innovative liquid metal divertor.
F.02 Acquisition of new scientific knowledge
COBISS.SI-ID: 44161283A study based on an overview of the state of the art knowledge, operating experiences and international practices, the latest research findings, technical standards and administrative requirements, which presents challenges for the long-term operation of the Nuclear Power Plant Krško (NEK) beyond its original 40-year of life, is conducted. The objectives include: (a) suggestions for possible improvements based on foreign good practices and the results of international research and development (R&D) projects, (b) recommendations for elimination of potential deficiencies in the Krško NPP project (including DEC systems), (c) potential measures in the case of lacking suppliers for spare parts of NEK equipment, (d) recommendations for reviewing the existing Aging Management Program (AMP), and (e) recommendations for implementation of aging management in NEK. The project for the Krško nuclear power plant is important as it shows the synergy effects of knowledge and experience gained in the field of fusion reactor systems and nuclear power plants.
D.01 Chairing over/coordinating (international and national) projects
COBISS.SI-ID: 15871747For the new experimental fusion tokamak "Divertor Tokamak Test facility" (DTT), which will be built in Frascati, Italy, we have developed a calorimeter design for a Neutral Beam Injection system that is injecting neutral atoms into tokamak. The calorimeter basically consists of two movable panels that absorb and dissipate the high heat flux density of incident deuterium atoms. The panels are equipped with cooling channels with inserted twisted tapes for heat transfer enhancement. The design is based on the expected power distribution of the neutral beams, thermo-hydraulic parameters (permissible temperatures in the material and coolant, pressure drop in the coolant) and geometric constraints. The temperature distributions in the panel were determined by the unique two-stage procedure, where in the first step we performed a detailed numerical analysis and geometric optimization of a representative panel element. In the second step, we used a simplified model to simulate heat loads and temperature distributions over the structure of the entire panel. Using thermo-mechanical simulations, we analyzed local stresses and deformations in the panels. Taking into account the deformations and thermo-mechanical stresses in the panels, we have proposed the optimal design of the calorimeter. In the development of the calorimeter, we collaborated with Consorzio RFX, Italy, which is in charge of manufacturing the prototype.
F.08 Development and manufacture of a prototype
COBISS.SI-ID: 56957443At the fair "Let's take our place: Regional Fair of Innovation and Entrepreneurship 2020" in Sarajevo, we received the award for the best innovation of the year. We received the award for the invention "Method for processing medical devices from nickel and titanium alloys (NiTi)" for which we also applied for an international patent (COBISS ID: 31847463). Research on the interaction of plasma with solid surfaces is therefore not useful only in fusion reactor technologies, but can be applied in many different fields, in this case in medicine.
E.02 International awards
COBISS.SI-ID: 50540291