On monitoring the tritium-breeding ratio in a fusion reactor

Abstract

A concept of tritium-breeding monitoring in the DEMO reactor is discussed. A system for experimental estimation of the tritium-breeding ratio and the tritium-breeding dynamics in a helium-cooled experimental breeding submodule (EBSM) of the International Thermonuclear Expeimental Reactor is proposed. A schematic diagram of the EBSM system and the design of its units are considered. Operation of the system in different modes is discussed. A pneumatic method is proposed to deliver the detectors to the tritium-breeding zone of the EBSM and to extract the detectors by using tritium-breeding channels. The channels are connected to the EBSM and to an operating zone. The results of the channel-cooling calculation carried out under nominal operating conditions of the EBSM (a plasma pulse) and the calculation of parameters of tritium detector transportation are presented in the paper.