Systems Engineering approach in support to the breeding blanket design

Abstract Nowadays the Systems Engineering (SE) methodology is applied in several fields of engineering and it represents a powerful interdisciplinary means to enable the realisation of complex systems taking into account the customer and Stakeholder´s needs. Also in the fusion community, this theme is becoming increasingly pressing and the implementation of the SE approach, from the early stage of design, is now a must. Indeed, within the framework of EUROfusion activities, SE method has been selected for capturing the system and interface requirements and for their management and verification with particular focus to the Breeding Blanket (BB) System of the European Demonstration Fusion Power Reactor (DEMO). Specifically, various levels of functions and requirements have been elicited and a development of the BB SE model, set-up using the Systems Modelling Language (SySML), has been performed. This paper describes the advantages of applying a SE approach to the BB design considering, in particular, the BB requirement development and management and the definition of the interfaces between the BB and the major interconnected systems, including Remote Maintenance, Balance of Plant, Vacuum Vessel attachment, Heating and Current Drive and Fuelling Lines Systems. An effective application of SE technique to the pre-conceptual design phase of the BB is also provided in this paper.