The WWR-K Reactor Experimental Base for Studies of the Tritium Release from Materials Under Irradiation

Shaimerdenov, A.A.; Gizatulin, Shamil; Dyussambayev, D.S.; Askerbekov, Saulet; Kenzhina, I.

doi:10.1080/15361055.2020.1711852

Cited by 20 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…The lack of objective data on the processes of corrosion and degradation in corrosive media opens up broad prospects for researchers to conduct such experiments. Interest in them is due to the possibility of obtaining kinetic curves of the degradation rate, which in the future will make it possible to contribute to the characterization of lithium-containing ceramics for thermonuclear power engineering [21][22][23][24][25]. Also of particular interest is the study of the effect of the presence of two-phase structures on resistance to degradation, since earlier studies indicate that two-phase ceramics have higher strength and durability [25][26][27].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study of Corrosion Resistance and Degradation Mechanisms in LiTiO2-Li2TiO3 Ceramic

2021

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The interest in lithium-containing ceramics is due to their huge potential as blanket materials for thermonuclear reactors for the accumulation of tritium. However, an important factor in their use is the preservation of the stability of their strength and structural properties when under the influence of external factors that determine the time frame of their operation. This paper presents the results of a study that investigated the influence of the LiTiO2 phase on the increasing resistance to degradation and corrosion of Li2TiO3 ceramic when exposed to aggressive acidic media. Using the X-ray diffraction method, it was found that an increase in the concentration of LiClO4·3H2O during synthesis leads to the formation of a cubic LiTiO2 phase in the structure as a result of thermal sintering of the samples. During corrosion tests, it was found that the presence of the LiTiO2 phase leads to a decrease in the degradation rate in acidic media by 20–70%, depending on the concentration of the phase. At the same time, and in contrast to the samples of Li2TiO3 ceramics, for which the mechanisms of degradation during a long stay in aggressive media are accompanied by large mass losses, for the samples containing the LiTiO2 phase, the main degradation mechanism is pitting corrosion with the formation of pitting inclusions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study of Corrosion Resistance and Degradation Mechanisms in LiTiO2-Li2TiO3 Ceramic

2021

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“…The elemental composition of the material is presented in Table 1. The loading capsule with test samples (Figure 1) was placed in a pumped-out experimental ampoule device connected to the CIRRA (Complex of In-Reactor Release Analysis) experimental facility (Figure 2) located at the WWR-K research reactor in Almaty, Kazakhstan [9]. Ceramic pebbles were poured into the bottom of the experimental ampoule device in 1 layer.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

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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“…The neutron reflector is demineralized water and beryllium. The maximum thermal neutron flux in the central irradiation positions of the core is 2•10 14 cm −2 •s -1 [25,26]. Computational modeling of physical processes in the WWR-K reactor in order to determine its radiation characteristics was carried out by the Monte Carlo method using the MCU-REA and MCNP6 codes [27,28].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Computational Study of Radiation Characteristics in the Niche of the Experimental Devices of the WWR-K Reactor

Романова

Гизатулин

Sairanbayev

et al. 2022

jour

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A nuclear reactor is a complex engineering and technical installation that generates radiation. Because of this, the experimental measurement of the radiation characteristics of a nuclear reactor is a difficult task, and in some cases technically impossible. The modern development of calculation codes and tools makes it possible to determine the radiation characteristics of a nuclear reactor with sufficient accuracy and reliability. Due to this, computational modeling of physical processes occurring in a nuclear reactor has become one of the main scientific research methods. The WWRK reactor is a multi-purpose research reactor with a large number of vertical and horizontal irradiation positions used for a wide range of scientific and applied problems. The irradiation position with the largest dimensions in the WWR-K reactor is the niche of experimental devices, which makes it possible to irradiate objects up to 1000 mm in diameter. This position is considered as a candidate for neutron transmutation doping of silicon ingots with a diameter of more than 200 mm. The article presents the radiation characteristics for the current and modernized configuration of the niche of the experimental devices of the WWR-K reactor. It is shown that the upgrade of the configuration leads to an improvement in the neutron characteristics in the irradiated position.

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The WWR-K Reactor Experimental Base for Studies of the Tritium Release from Materials Under Irradiation

Cited by 20 publications

References 32 publications

Study of Corrosion Resistance and Degradation Mechanisms in LiTiO2-Li2TiO3 Ceramic

Study of Corrosion Resistance and Degradation Mechanisms in LiTiO2-Li2TiO3 Ceramic

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

Computational Study of Radiation Characteristics in the Niche of the Experimental Devices of the WWR-K Reactor

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