Progress in tritium retention and release modeling for ceramic breeders

Abstract

Tritium behavior in ceramic breeder blankets is a key design issue for this class of blanket because of its impact on safety and fuel self-sufficiency. Over the past 10-15 years, substantial theoretical and experimental efforts have been dedicated worldwide to develop a better understanding of tritium transport in ceramic breeders. Models that are available today seem to cover reasonably well all the key physical transport and trapping mechanisms. They have allowed for reasonable interpretation and reproduction of experimental data and have helped in pointing out deficiencies in material property data base, in providing guidance for future experiments, and in analyzing blanket tritium behavior. This paper highlights the progress in tritium modeling over the last decade. Key tritium transport mechanisms are briefly described along with the more recent and sophisticated model calibration and validation discussed. Finally, example applications to blanket cases are shown as illustration of progress in the prediction of ceramic breeder blanket tritium inventory. models developed to help understand them. Recent experimental data are highlighted and by a contractor of the U. S. Government under contract No. W-31-104ENG-38. Accordingly, the U. S. Government retains a nonexclusive, royalty-free license to publish or reproduce the published form of this contribution. or allow others to do so, for 1 July, I I 1994 A. R. Raffny. et. 31. 'Progress il; Tritium Retention and Rclcase Modcling for Ccramic Breeders". ISFNT-3 This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fusion Energy, under Contract No. W-31-109-Eng-38. DISCLAIMER Portions of this document may be illegible in electronic image products. Images are produced from the best available original document. 3 A. R. Raffray. et. al. 'Progress in Tritium Retention and Release Modcling for Ceramic Breeders". ISFNT-3 July. I 1 1994

Plasma-material interactions in current tokamaks and their implications for next step fusion reactors

“…Tritium production, via breeding reactions ( 2) and ( 3), in liquid and 50 ceramic lithium-based breeder materials, and tritium extraction have been demonstrated through capsule irradiation in fission reactors [221][222][223]. In practice only a fraction of neutrons produced can be used to breed tritium.…”

Plasma-material Interactions in Current Tokamaks and their Implications for Next-step Fusion Reactors

“…through capsule irradiation in fission reactors [221][222][223]. In practice only a fraction of neutrons produced can be used to breed tritium.…”

Growth of single crystalline dendritic Li2SiO3 arrays from LiNO3 and mesoporous SiO2

“…These two properties determine the possible application of a tritium breeder material for fusion reactors [14] as well as its good thermal, chemical, and mechanical stability at high temperatures in combination with its favorable irradiation behavior [15]. Furthermore, it is compatible with other blanket and structural materials [14,16].…”