Tritium modelling in HCPB breeder blanket at a system level

•A simulator for studying tritium behavior in a HCPB breeder blanket system is here presented.•This preliminary model includes the blanket concept, the tritium extraction system (TES) and the coolant purification system (CPS).•The results show that the highest tritium inventory is the one trapped in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Fusion engineering and design Vol. 124; pp. 687 - 691
Main Authors: Carella, Elisabeta, Moreno, Carlos, Urgorri, Fernando Roca, Rapisarda, David, Ibarra, Angel
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.11.2017
Elsevier Science Ltd
Subjects:
Breeder reactors
Computer simulation
DEMO blanket
Electron tubes
Fusion
HCPB
Mathematical models
Model simulation
Nuclear engineering
Nuclear safety
Parameters
Pebble bed reactors
Penetration
Physical properties
Reactors
Robustness (mathematics)
Simulation
Software
System level
Transport phenomena
Tritium
System level
DEMO blanket
Tritium
HCPB
Model simulation
ISSN:0920-3796, 1873-7196
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:•A simulator for studying tritium behavior in a HCPB breeder blanket system is here presented.•This preliminary model includes the blanket concept, the tritium extraction system (TES) and the coolant purification system (CPS).•The results show that the highest tritium inventory is the one trapped inside the lithium based ceramic pebble bed.•A relatively low value of tritium permeation to the coolant (almost 0.2g/day) has been found. Tritium behavior in a DEMO reactor is a key design issue because of its self-sufficiency and impact on safety. Considering the difficulty in handling tritium, and that the transport, diffusion and permeation phenomena involve a large number of physical properties and parameters, it is intended to prepare a simulation tool to predict its behavior. A preliminary model for tritium transport at system level has been developed for the HCPB (Helium Cooled Pebble Bed) breeder concept (DEMO2014), focusing on the multi-physics of the release, diffusion, permeation, recombination processes. The numerical technique presented here is based on EcosimPro simulation tool, a program with an object-oriented nature which offers the possibility of mixing various disciplines by robust equation-solving algorithms. The study presents the results obtained in a reference case in which the most generic parameters provided by the HCPB designers have been used. Together with the breeder blanket concept, a tritium extraction system (TES) and a coolant purification system (CPS) have been included into the gases circuits. The results of tritium permeation to the coolant provide relatively low values (around 0.2g/d), that will be improved in the future by a more detailed system description.
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ISSN:0920-3796
1873-7196
DOI:10.1016/j.fusengdes.2017.01.051