A methhodology for the computer solution of radiation-induced thermal stresses in fusion reactor components

This report describes the creation of a methodology for determining thermal stresses of complex shapes given a neutron radiation environment. This report also examines the results of its application to a specific case, the TPX (Tokamak Physics experiment) lower hybrid waveguide system, which is considered a high-risk case for buckling because of it's structure of multiple thin, flat plates. The thesis describes the computer codes used, namely the Monte Carlo code MORSE for calculating the radiation field and the code ANSYS to calculate the thermal stresses, as well as the linking code created to join them. It discusses the value of a simple, one-dimensional discrete ordinates code such as ANISN in solving the neutronics problem, and the failure of ANISN to provide adequate data for the example problem. Results obtained indicate that the TPX waveguide system survives radiation-induced heating without buckling, and that the linking code can serve a useful purpose in thermal stress analysis. It also looks at the extreme case of treating the charged-particle flux as a surface flux being absorbed on contact, which still yields temperatures within the safe range.