Tokamak Tritium Cycle System with Reactor Technologies

Abstract

In this article, on the basis of world experience in the field of handling tritium-containing media and on the basis of our own experimental data, a scheme of the tritium cycle system for a tokamak with reactor technologies is proposed. When calculating the characteristics of the tokamak tritium cycle system, it was assumed that the total volume of tritium in the facility is 20 g, and 0.1 g of tritium is consumed per pulse. The proposed scheme provides a complete recycling of tritium and consists of a subsystem for the sorption storage of deuterium and tritium on intermetallic compounds based on zirconium; a subsystem for the chemical purification of the exhaust gas mixture from the toroidal chamber of the tokamak trapping nitrogen, oxygen and carbon ions; a subsystem for the membrane separation of hydrogen isotopes from the gas mixtures; subsystems for the separation of hydrogen isotopes by thermal diffusion; subsystems for the purification of waste process streams by the method of phase isotope exchange, which provides for the preliminary catalytic oxidation of hydrogen isotopes to water; and a subsystem for the concentration of tritium-containing water by the method of chemical isotope exchange in the “water–hydrogen” system. Requirements are provided and analytical and radiometric equipment is proposed to ensure control of the necessary parameters and reliable protection of personnel, the public, and the environment from the effects of tritium.