Experiments on tritium generation and yield from lithium ceramics during neutron irradiation

Blynskiy, Petr; Chikhray, Y.; Kulsartov, T.; Габдуллин, М. Т.; Zaurbekova, Zhanna; Ķizāne, Gunta; Kenzhin, Ye.; Tolenova, A.; Нестеров, Е. А.; Shaimerdenov, A.A.

doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.12.224

Cited by 21 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Moreover, most experts in this field agree that the use of lithium or lithium-containing ceramics will completely solve the problem of tritium fuel for thermonuclear energy, since lithium reserves will last for quite a long time [ 10 , 11 , 12 ]. The creation of blankets based on lithium ceramics must meet a number of requirements, the most significant of which are high mechanical strength and resistance to cracking and destruction under prolonged irradiation or temperature changes, excellent thermal conductivity, and increased resistance to thermal expansion (linear and volumetric) [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Of the currently known lithium ceramics, it is possible to single out ceramics based on lithium metazirconate, which, on account of the properties of zirconium oxide, not only have a higher resistance to destruction under external influences, including radiation embrittlement, but also thermophysical parameters that make it possible to influence the modes of use and service life [ 17 , 18 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Synthesis and Structural and Strength Properties of xLi2ZrO3-(1-x)MgO Ceramics—Materials for Blankets

et al. 2023

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The article considers the effect of doping with magnesium oxide (MgO) on changes in the properties of lithium-containing ceramics based on lithium metazirconate (Li2ZrO3). There is interest in this type of ceramics on account of their prospects for application in tritium production in thermonuclear power engineering, as well as several other applications related to alternative energy sources. During the investigations undertaken, it was found that variation in the MgO dopant concentration above 0.10–0.15 mol resulted in the formation of impurity inclusions in the ceramic structure in the form of a MgLi2ZrO4 phase, the presence of which resulted in a rise in the density of the ceramics, along with elevation in resistance to external influences. Moreover, during experimental work on the study of the thermal stability of the ceramics to external influences, it was found that the formation of two-phase ceramics resulted in growth in the preservation of stable strength properties during high-temperature cyclic tests. The decrease in strength characteristics was observed to be less than 1%.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Synthesis and Structural and Strength Properties of xLi2ZrO3-(1-x)MgO Ceramics—Materials for Blankets

et al. 2023

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This study was a continuation of research [4][5][6][7] regarding tritium and helium release from lithium metatitanate Li 2 TiO 3 with 96% 6 Li during irradiation at the WWR-K research reactor using the vacuum extraction method. Thus, in [4], the initial section of the experiment (the stepwise increase in reactor power) was analyzed; it was shown that the release of tritium occurred in the form of HT and T 2 molecules. In [5], the nature of tritium-containing molecules release was analyzed over the entire period of irradiation; it was found that tritium was released uniformly, except for areas where the irradiation conditions changed noticeably.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Features of Helium and Tritium Release from Li2TiO3 Ceramic Pebbles under Neutron Irradiation

Kulsartov,

Zaurbekova,

Chikhray

et al. 2023

Materials

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The operation of fusion reactors is based on the reaction that occurs when two heavy hydrogen isotopes, deuterium and tritium, combine to form helium and a neutron with an energy of 14.1 MeV D + T → He + n. For this reaction to occur, it is necessary to produce tritium in the facility itself, as tritium is not common in nature. The generation of tritium in the facility is a key function of the breeder blanket. During the operation of a D–T fusion reactor, high-energy tritium is generated as a result of the 6Li(n,α)T reaction in a lithium-containing ceramic material in the breeder blanket. Lithium metatitanate Li2TiO3 is proposed as one of the promising materials for use in the solid breeder blanket of the DEMO reactor. Several concepts for test blanket modules based on lithium ceramics are being developed for testing at the ITER reactor. Lithium metatitanate Li2TiO3 has good tritium release parameters, as well as good thermal and thermomechanical characteristics. The most important property of lithium ceramics Li2TiO3 is its ability to withstand exposure to long-term high-energy radiation at high temperatures and across large temperature gradients. Its inherent thermal stability and chemical inertness are significant advantages in terms of safety concerns. This study was a continuation of research regarding tritium and helium release from lithium metatitanate Li2TiO3 with 96% 6Li during irradiation at the WWR-K research reactor using the vacuum extraction method. As a result of the analysis of experiments regarding the irradiation of lithium metatitanate in vacuum conditions, it has been established that, during irradiation, peak releases of helium from closed pores of the ceramics are observed, which open during the first 7 days of irradiation. The authors assumed that the reasons samples crack are temperature gradients over the ceramic sample, resulting from the internal heating of pebbles under the conditions of their vacuum evacuation, and contact with the bottom of the evacuated capsule. The temperature dependence of the effective diffusion coefficient of tritium in ceramics at the end of irradiation and the parameters of helium effusion were also determined.

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“…This study is motivated by the increase in energy consumption and the efforts underway to search for alternative energy sources, including active studies in the field of nuclear and thermonuclear energy. In Kazakhstan, in recent years, new materials for future nuclear and nuclear fuel cycle facilities have been widely studied [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]; reactor [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ] and out-of-pile [ 17 , 18 , 19 ] experiments simulating their operating conditions have been conducted. One area of such work is corrosion testing of materials for the high-temperature gas reactor (HTGR), a Generation IV in the early design stage [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study of Morphological, Structural, and Strength Properties of Model Prototypes of New Generation TRISO Fuels

et al. 2022

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The purpose of this work is to characterize the morphological, structural, and strength properties of model prototypes of new-generation TRi-structural ISOtropic particle fuel (TRISO) designed for Generation IV high-temperature gas reactors (HTGR-type). The choice of model structures consisting of inner pyrolytic carbon (I-PyC), silicon carbide (SiC), and outer pyrolytic carbon (O-PyC) as objects of research is motivated by their potential use in creating a new generation of fuel for high-temperature nuclear reactors. To fully assess their full functional value, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms of resistance to external influences, including mechanical, as in the process of operation there may be external factors associated with deformation and leading to the destruction of the surface of fuel structures, which will critically affect the service life. The objective of these studies is to obtain new data on the fuel properties, as well as their resistance to external influences arising from mechanical friction. Such studies are necessary for further tests of this fuel on corrosion and irradiation resistance, as closely as possible to real conditions in the reactor. The research revealed that the study samples have a high degree of resistance to external mechanical influences, due to the high strength of the upper layer consisting of pyrolytic carbon. The presented results of the radiation resistance of TRISO fuel testify to the high resistance of the near-surface layer to high-dose irradiation.

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Experiments on tritium generation and yield from lithium ceramics during neutron irradiation

Cited by 21 publications

References 34 publications

Synthesis and Structural and Strength Properties of xLi2ZrO3-(1-x)MgO Ceramics—Materials for Blankets

Synthesis and Structural and Strength Properties of xLi2ZrO3-(1-x)MgO Ceramics—Materials for Blankets

Features of Helium and Tritium Release from Li2TiO3 Ceramic Pebbles under Neutron Irradiation

Study of Morphological, Structural, and Strength Properties of Model Prototypes of New Generation TRISO Fuels

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