The Helium Cooled Pebble Bed (HCPB) Breeding Blanket (BB) is one of the 4 BB concepts being investigated in the EU for their possible implementation in DEMO. During 2014 the former “beer-box” BB ...concept based on the ITER’s HCPB Test Blanket Module suffered several design changes so as to meet the different counteracting nuclear, thermohydraulic and thermomechanical requirements. These studies evidenced that the concept is too rigid to meet the tight TBR requirements imposed for the EU DEMO (i.e. TBR≥1.10). Additionally, the complex manifold system with unbalanced helium mass flow in each of the 2 parallel cooling loops made the concept thermohydraulically complex. However, parametric studies during 2015 revealed that the HCPB concept have potential for a better nuclear performance, as well as margin for a significant simplification of the cooling internals by redefining the cooling plates and the architecture of the blanket, building a symmetric flow scheme.
This paper describes the new HCPB concept based on an integrated FW with the breeding zone thermohydraulics and helium manifold systems. The former complex manifold backplates have been compacted and integrated in the cooling plates, releasing ≈300mm of radial space that can be used now to increase breeder zone, the neutron shielding, to reinforce the Back Supporting Structure (BSS) or basically to reduce the reactor size. Detailed neutronic analyses have yielded a TBR of ∼1.20 for the baseline design. Initial analyses show a correct thermohydraulic behavior. Preliminary thermomechanical analyses also indicate that the design can potentially withstand an in-box LOCA at 9 MPa at a level C according to the RCC-MRx code. Future consolidation activities are described, which shall lead to a concept meeting the BB requirements.
Table grapes are economically important products and the reliable identification of table grape cultivars is a challenge in quality management for both food distributer and customer trust. Usually ...morphological characters such as leaf shape or size are used to identify grapevine cultivars in the field. However, in the case of table grapes, only clusters are shipped and an identification method has to rely on the grape bunch alone. Two commonly used methods for identification of cultivars are RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) markers and SSR (Simple Sequence Repeats) markers, often referred to as microsatellites. Microsatellites have been used extensively for cultivar identification (see Sefc et al., 2009). In this pilot project we have focused on RAPD based markers, which is the easier, faster and cheaper method. Another advantage of the RAPD approach is its technical simplicity, paired with the independence from any prior DNA sequence information. In this study a set of available RAPD primers was used to evaluate the usefulness of this approach.
In the frame of the activities of the EU Breeder Blanket Programme and of the Test Blanket Working Group of ITER, the Helium Cooled Pebble Bed Test Blanket Module (HCPB TBM) is developed in ...Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (FZK) to investigate DEMO relevant concepts for blanket modules.
The three main functions of a blanket module (removing heat, breeding tritium and shielding sensitive components from radiation) will be tested in ITER using a series of four TBMs, which are irradiated successively during different test campaigns. Each HCPB TBM will be installed, with a vertical orientation, into the vacuum vessel connected to one equatorial port. As the studies performed up to 2006 in FZK concerned a horizontal orientation of the HCPB TBM, a global review of the design is necessary to match with the new ITER specifications.
A preliminary version of the new vertical design is proposed extrapolating the neutronic analysis performed for the horizontal HCPB TBM. An overview of the new HCPB TBM vertical designs, as well as the preliminary thermal and fluid dynamic analyses performed for the validation of the design, are presented in this paper. A critical review of the results obtained allows us, in the conclusion, to prepare a plan for the future detailed analyses of the vertical HCPB TBM.
Anthocyanins are red- or purple-coloured secondary metabolites present in many tissues of many plants and are a subgroup of flavonoids. Most grapevine cultivars can be divided in red and white ...although the colour spectrum goes from white over red and grey to blue and black. Each cultivar has a unique set of antho-cyanins. The composition and their concentration in the berry skin determine colour-variation in grape. The expression of the last gene in the pathway leading to the grape-colour UDP-Glc-Flavonoid-3-O-Glucosyltransferase (UFGT) gene is much lower in white grapes than in red or black and is controlled by transcription-factors VvMYBA1 and VvMYBA2. The two paralogous genes are adjacent, building a single locus inherited with berry colour. The VvMYBA1 gene is not expressed in white berries mainly to an insertion-mutation of Gret1 (Grape retrotransposon 1) in the promoter of VvMYBA1. Based on this locus we used PCR-primers, both published and self designed, to develop an “easy-to-use” marker system to determine the potential berry skin colour from woody cuttings. With this system most of the cultivars can be distinguished, except ‘Pinot gris’ and ‘Red Traminer’. Since ‘Pinot gris’ is prone to show colour chimaeras, sometimes white berry mutations or white and grey coloured sectors of berry skin can be seen. The application of the system to different tissues has shown great differences in various tissues like wood, roots, anthers, leaves and grape skin.
The objective of this study was to characterize and compare the monoterpene content and seasonal variation of different grape cultivars and clones. Grapes of aromatic, less aromatic, and non-aromatic ...cultivars were collected during ripening periods in 2007, 2008 and 2009 at the Geisenheim Research Center. Free and glycosidically bound monoterpenes were extracted with a solid phase extraction-method (SPE) and analysed by GC/MS. The focus was on the monoterpenols linalool, nerol, geraniol and terpineol; the furanoside and pyranoside cis/trans isomers of linalool oxide; and the aldehydes neral and geranial plus two diendiols. Results show large differences between cultivars and two clones of Traminer (Gewürztraminer). Highest contents were found in grapes like Siegerrebe and Muscat cultivars such as Morio Muskat. Only traces of monoterpenes were detected in Dornfelder and Chardonnay. During ripening, linalool increased significantly in most cultivars, while -terpineol levels varied only slightly with time.
Monoterpenes are considered to be one of the major classes of volatile flavour components in many grapevine cultivars and are characteristic of fruity and floral white wines. The purpose of this ...study was to compare seasonal variation in monoterpene levels of different grape cultivars and characterise metabolic pathway genes leading to monoterpene production. Grape cultivars with different aromatic attributes (high to low aroma) and non-aromatic cultivars were collected at different stages during several seasons from our experimental vineyard in Geisenheim. Monoterpenes were extracted using solid phase extraction (SPE) and analysed by GC/MS. This study focused on major monoterpene alcohols linalool, geraniol and α-terpineol. In this study putative grape monoterpene synthase genes from several cultivars were sequenced and their potential for marker-assisted breeding assessed.
Monoterpenes are considered to be one of the major classes of volatile flavour components in many grapevine cultivars and are typical of fruity and floral white wines. Varietal character largely ...depends on the kind and amounts of monoterpenes. GC-MS analysis showed great differences among many cultivars and clones. They are significantly influenced by environment and ripening stage, which makes a systematic clone evaluation based on phenotype difficult. The objective of this study was to identify genes involved in metabolic pathways leading to characteristic monoterpenes. The biosynthesis and molecular genetic of monoterpenes have been widely studied in various species. The recently published genome of grapevine and sequences from several other plant species, now available in databases, enable us to identify potential terpensynthases in grapevine. In this study, previously unknown putative linalool - and geraniolsynthases of grapevine were identified. One gene showed great differences between aromatic and non-aromatic cultivars. These differences will be assessed for the development of markers to use in marker-assisted breeding and marker-assisted clone selection (MACS).
In the frame of the activities of the EU Breeder Blanket Programme and of the Test Blanket Working Group of ITER, the Helium Cooled Pebble Bed Test Blanket Module (HCPB-TBM) is developed to ...investigate DEMO relevant concepts for blanket modules. The main functions of a blanket module (heat removal, tritium breeding and sensitive components shielding) will be tested in DEMO relevant conditions during four different test campaigns in ITER. One TBM of the HCPB concept will be installed into the vacuum vessel connected to one equatorial port designed for vertical TBM orientation during each of the four test campaigns. This paper describes the FZK activities in order to verify the design of the HCPB TBM with regard to operational conditions in ITER and to prove the feasibility of the manufacturing techniques proposed.
As the studies performed in FZK up to 2006 concerned a horizontal orientation of the HCPB, a review of the design was necessary to match with the new ITER specifications. Even if the general architecture of the horizontal TBM is maintained, nevertheless the change of configuration has significant impact on the design of the TBM sub-components. An overview of the new vertical HCPB design is presented, detailing the strategy adopted to assess the design and the thermal and fluid dynamic analyses performed for the TBM First Wall.
In parallel to the TBM design and analysis, a large mock-up programme addresses the main issues of manufacturing and performances for single components and systems. The three medium-size mock-ups foreseen in FZK to validate the fabrication and mounting processes are presented detailing their purposes.
This paper summarizes the design and development activities for the EU Helium Cooled Pebble Bed Test Blanket Module (HCPB TBM) Breeder Zone (BZ) performed in 2007 and 2008. The BZ design, based on ...two parallel cooling plates manufactured by milling/diffusion welding presented in 2005 has been changed in order to find an arrangement for the BZ based on manufacturing technology which is already state of the art (spark erosion/EB welding). Additionally the TBM box configuration has been redefined into a vertical arrangement. Taking into account these recent modifications the conceptual design of the BZ has been revised generally and also functional aspects of the BZ have been taken into account. This paper mainly recalls conceptual design activities with regard to the BZ arrangement and corresponds to which recalls the activities concerning the analysis done to evaluate the thermo-hydraulic behavior of the recent BZ design.
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