Activation Analysis for a He/LiPb Dual Coolant Blanket for DEMO Reactor

Catalán, J.P.; Ogando, F.; Sanz, J.

doi:10.13182/fst60-738

Cited by 7 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 5 publications

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“…According to limits employed in previous studies, no-active cooling is required if the decay heat is below 10 W/m 3 , dry cooling is sufficient if it is between 10 W/m 3 and 2 kW/m 3 , and wet cooling is required above 2 kW/m 3 [29].…”

Section: Decay Heatmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neutronics and activation analysis of lithium-based ternary alloys in IFE blankets

Jolodosky

Kramer

Meier

et al. 2016

Fusion Engineering and Design

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h i g h l i g h t s • Monte Carlo calculations were performed on numerous lithium ternary alloys. • Elements with high neutron multiplication performed well with low absorbers. • Enriching lithium decreases minimum lithium concentration of alloys by 60% or more. • Alloys that performed well neutronically were selected for activation calculations. • Alloys activated, except LiBaBi, do not pose major environmental or safety concerns. a b s t r a c t An attractive feature of using liquid lithium as the breeder and coolant in fusion blankets is that it has very high tritium solubility and results in very low levels of tritium permeation throughout the facility infrastructure. However, lithium metal vigorously reacts with air and water and presents plant safety concerns. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is carrying an effort to develop a lithium-based ternary alloy that maintains the beneficial properties of lithium (e.g. high tritium breeding and solubility) and at the same time reduces overall flammability concerns. This study evaluates the neutronics performance of lithium-based alloys in the blanket of an inertial fusion energy chamber in order to inform such development. 3-D Monte Carlo calculations were performed to evaluate two main neutronics performance parameters for the blanket: tritium breeding ratio (TBR), and the fusion energy multiplication factor (EMF). It was found that elements that exhibit low absorption cross sections and higher q-values such as Pb, Sn, and Sr, perform well with those that have high neutron multiplication such as Pb and Bi. These elements meet TBR constrains ranging from 1.02 to 1.1. However, most alloys do not reach EMFs greater than 1.15. Additionally, it was found that enriching lithium with 6 Li significantly increases the TBR and decreases the minimum lithium concentration by more than 60%. The amount of enrichment depends on how much total lithium is in the alloy to begin with. Alloys that performed well in the TBR and EMF calculations were considered for activation analysis. Activation simulations were executed with 50 years of irradiation and 300 years of cooling. It was discovered that bismuth is a poor choice due to achieving the highest decay heat, contact dose rates, and accident doses. In addition, it does not meet the waste disposal ratings (WDR). Some of the activation results for alloys with Sn, Zn, and Ga were in the higher end and should be considered secondary to elements such as Sr and Ba that had overall better results. The results of this study along with other considerations such as thermodynamics, and chemical reactivity will help down select a preferred lithium ternary alloy.

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Section: Decay Heatmentioning

confidence: 99%