Application of the Polynomial Chaos Expansion to the Uncertainty Propagation in Fault Transients in Nuclear Fusion Reactors: DTT TF Fast Current Discharge

Abstract

Nuclear fusion reactors are composed of several complex components whose behavior may be not certain a priori. This uncertainty may have a significant impact on the evolution of fault transients in the machine, causing unexpected damage to its components. For this reason, a suitable method for the uncertainty propagation during those transients is required. The Monte Carlo method would be the reference option, but it is, in most of the cases, not applicable due to the large number of required, repeated simulations. In this context, the Polynomial Chaos Expansion has been considered as a valuable alternative. It allows us to create a surrogate model of the original one in terms of orthogonal polynomials. Then, the uncertainty quantification is performed repeatedly, relying on this much simpler and faster model. Using the fast current discharge in the Divertor Tokamak Test Toroidal Field (DTT TF) coils as a reference scenario, the following method has been applied: the uncertainty on the parameters of the Fast Discharge Unit (FDU) varistor disks is propagated to the simulated electrical and electromagnetic relevant effects. Eventually, two worst-case scenarios are analyzed from a thermal–hydraulic point of view with the 4C code, simulating a fast current discharge as a consequence of a coil quench. It has been demonstrated that the uncertainty on the inputs (varistor parameters) strongly propagates, leading to a wide range of possible scenarios in the case of accidental transients. This result underlines the necessity of taking into account and propagating all possible uncertainties in the design of a fusion reactor according to the Best Estimate Plus Uncertainty approach. The uncertainty propagation from input data to electrical, electromagnetic, and thermal hydraulic results, using surrogate models, is the first of its kind in the field of the modeling of superconducting magnets for nuclear fusion applications.

Keywords

• uncertainty propagation
• polynomial chaos expansion
• nuclear fusion reactors
• superconducting magnets
• numerical modeling