Tritium storage plant based on a combination of St707 and St737 getter alloy beds for high field fusion machines

Abstract

Thermonuclear fusion machines (which will be operated with D-T mixtures) should provide the tritium storage and supply systems with safety conditions. In order to prevent possible accidents, with a large release of tritium, it must be trapped in solid and reversible solution forms by absorption beds. Moreover, residual gaseous form tritium in the pipelines, and permeation through the primary containment system, must be minimized. For storage, transfer, injection and recovery, a suitable system can be designed which uses metallic getter beds. Reversible solid solutions by tritium sorption are formed with low residual partial pressure, and re-emission by heating at low temperatures, which results in the reduction of permeation. This work shows the possibility of the use of a combination of two ZrVFe getter beds with different alloy compositions as an alternative to the usual uranium beds. In particular, the characterization of the new St737 getter alloy is carried out. Advantages of the combination of the new getter with the well-known St707 getter alloy are presented. presented.