Tritium permeation through helium-heated steam generators of ceramic breeder blankets for DEMO

Abstract

The potential sources of tritium contamination of the helium coolant of ceramic breeder blankets have previously been evaluated for the specific case of the European BIT DEMO blanket. This confirmed that the control of tritium losses to the steam circuit is a critical issue which demands development concerning (a) permeation barriers, (b) tritium recovery processes maintaining a very low tritium activity in the coolant, and (c) control of the coolant chemistry. The specifications of these developments required the evaluation of the tritium losses through the steam generators, and includes the definition of their operating conditions by thermodynamic cycle calculations, and their thermal—hydraulic design. For both tasks, specific computer tools were developed. The geometry obtained, the surface area and the temperature profiles along the heat-exchanger tubes were then used to estimate the daily tritium permeation into the steam cycle. Steam-oxidized Incoloy 800 austenitic stainless steel was identified as the best-suited existing material. Our results indicate that in nominal steady-state operation the tritium escape into the steam cycle could be restricted to less than 10 Ci per day. The conditions for this are specified, but their feasibility demands, in particular, the resolution of certain gas chemistry problems, and their validation in the more stringent environment of an operating blanket. Tritium permeation during temperature and pressure transients in the steam generator (destruction and possible self-healing of the permeation barrier) was identified as bearing a large tritium release potential. The problems associated with such transients are discussed and possible solutions are proposed.