Status of the design of the tritium handling systems for the OMEGA Cryogenic Target System

Abstract

The OMEGA Laser Facility at the University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics (UR/LLE) will begin laser illumination campaigns on cryogenic DT ICF targets in the year 2000. The OMEGA Cryogenic Target System (OCTS) will fill plastic ICF targets to high pressure, cool them to cryogenic temperature, layer and characterize targets, then transport them to the center of the OMEGA Target Chamber where they will be illuminated by a 30 kJ laser. The OCTS is being designed and constructed by General Atomics. Although the quantities of tritium being handled are relatively small (<1 g), the tritium handling systems to support the OCTS operation are significant. The high pressure system must compress DT at a very slow and uniform rate to pressures in excess of 1500 atm. This must be accomplished under the constraint of <1 g tritium inventory. The gloveboxes that provide secondary containment of the tritium handling equipment are relatively large, and one glovebox in particular must support a 1700 kg cryostat vessel, contain the vacuum and gas handling systems, and allow for access to the cryostat vessel for maintenance and repair when it becomes tritium contaminated. There are two major vacuum systems that support the OCTS operation. These were designed to be tritium compatible, relatively compact, easy to maintain, and yet provide high vacuum and roughing vacuum to a number of vessels having a wide range of tritium contamination levels. Finally, Tritium Removal Systems (TRSs) are being designed to provide cleanup of the glovebox atmosphere, vacuum system effluents, and equipment associated with the Target Chamber. The TRS must perform in a manner to support a yearly tritium release limit of 150 mCi of tritium, which is a significant challenge. This paper describes the current status as well as some of the challenges encountered in the design of the DT high pressure system, the gloveboxes, the vacuum system, and the TRSs.