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The use of D–Li stripping reaction to generate multiple neutron is expected in the International Fusion Materials Irradiated Facility (IFMIF). Tritium generated by its side reaction needs to be recovered from liquid Li for safety. Y hot trap is expected as an effective purification system to recover tritium from the liquid Li loop. In IFMIF, since liquid Li circulates in a loop, it is important to trace tritium behavior in Y and liquid Li under dynamic conditions. In this study, the authors investigate the effectiveness of tritium recovery from liquid Li under dynamic conditions of Y hot trap. Hydrogen absorption in Li instead of tritium is investigated under dynamically fluidized conditions by stirring liquid Li with an arbitrary rotational rate. The experimental results prove that the hydrogen absorption rate from liquid Li to Y is independent of the rotational rate. This means that the rate-determining step is hydrogen diffusion in Y.

Systems to recover tritium (T) from fusion liquid blankets of LiPb (Li17Pb83) and Flibe (Li2BeF4) under safety conditions are discussed based on available data of T transport properties. We recentl...

Large amounts of tritium would be handled in D-T fusion power plants. Tritium is the radioisotope of protium, and is easily taken into the human body. With regard to nuclear fusion reactor facilities, the concept of multi-confinement system is applied to prevent tritium leaking to the environment. The last barrier to confine tritium is a building itself containing all equipment and facilities. If a severe accident takes place, tritium gas could leak into the facilities. In order to prevent tritium leaking to the environment, a secure air cleanup system (ACS) needs to be installed in the building. In ACS, the tritium gas, which leaks to rooms by an accident, is oxidized by catalysts, and then tritiated water vapor is collected by adsorbents. This method can remove tritium effectively, whereas which has a problem related to large ventilation force required to overcome high pressure drop in catalyst and adsorbent beds. Ventilation force could be substantially reduced by applying honeycomb catalysts a...

Recovery of tritium released into working areas in nuclear fusion plants is a key issue of safety. A large volume of air from tritium fuel cycle or vacuum vessel should be processed by air cleanup system (ACS). In ACS, tritium gas is oxidized by catalysts, and then tritiated water vapor is collected by adsorbents. This method can remove tritium effectively, whereas high throughput of air causes high-pressure drop in catalyst and adsorbent beds. In this study, the applicability of honeycomb-type adsorbents, which offers a useful advantage in terms of their low-pressure drop, to ACS was examined, in comparison with conventional pebble-type adsorbent. Honeycomb-type adsorbent causes far less pressure drop than pebble-type adsorbent beds. Adsorption capacity of water vapor on a honeycomb-type adsorbent is slightly lower than that on a pebble-type adsorbent, while adsorption rate of water vapor on honeycomb-type adsorbent is much higher than that of pebble-type adsorbent.

In the process of development of D–T fusion power reactors, recovery of tritium released into the last confinement system would be a key issue related to safety. If an accidental leakage of tritium takes place in a fusion power plant, a large volume of air should be detritiated with an air cleanup system (ACS). In ACS, tritium gas is converted to tritiated water vapor with a catalyst bed, and then which is recovered with an adsorption bed. In this study, the authors examined the applicability of honeycomb-type catalysts to ACS. A screening test of catalysts for oxidation of hydrogen and deuterium was performed using various honeycomb-type and pebble-type catalysts. Experimental results reveal that a honeycomb-type catalyst possesses a high oxidation performance for oxidation of hydrogen isotopes. Furthermore, the isotope effect on the oxidation of hydrogen isotopes over the honeycomb-type catalyst was thoroughly examined and quantified using tritium.

For large volume air clean-up in nuclear fusion facilities, honeycomb-type adsorbents offer a useful advantage in terms of their low-pressure drop. In this study, two different honeycomb-type adsorbents (honeycomb-K and honeycomb-N) and pebble-type adsorbents were used as samples and the water vapor adsorption performance of each adsorbent was examined by changing temperature, concentration of water vapor and flow rate. The honeycomb-K and honeycomb-N adsorbents included zeolite-4A or zeolite-5A with a 50% clay binder and with a 15% sepiolite binder, respectively. The shapes of cells in honeycomb-K and honeycomb-N are triangles with 1 mm sides and squares with 1 mm sides, respectively, and the cell densities of the both adsorbents were 200 CPSI (cells/in.2). The adsorption capacity for water vapor on the honeycomb-K adsorbent was comparable to that on the pebble-type adsorbent, while the adsorption capacity on the honeycomb-N adsorbent was lower. The adsorption rates of honeycomb-K and honeycomb-N adsorbents were higher than that of the pebble-type adsorbent. The honeycomb-K adsorbent containing zeolite-5A showed a higher adsorption rate than that containing zeolite-4A. Thus, honeycomb-K containing zeolite-5A adsorbent could be applicable to air cleanup systems in terms of both adsorption capacity and rate.

Tritium release in nuclear fusion power plants must be recovered as efficiently as possible in air cleanup system (ACS). In conventional ACS, the tritium gas is oxidized by catalysts, and then tritiated water vapor is collected by adsorbents, whereas which has a problem related to large ventilation force required to overcome high pressure drop in catalyst and adsorbent beds. Honeycomb-type catalyst and adsorbent offer a useful advantage in terms of their low-pressure drop, and honeycomb-type adsorbent using sepiolite-binder is feasible ability for application of ACS. In this study, we examined adsorption characteristics of water vapor on the building material, zeolitic materials using sepiolite-binder, for honeycomb-type adsorbent by changing temperature and concentration of water vapor, in comparison with those for conventional pebble-type adsorbent, and the experimental data were evaluated using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. Each type of adsorbent includes mainly zeolite-4A. Adsorption capacity of zeolitic materials for both adsorbents gradually decreased with decreasing partial pressure of water or increasing temperature, and experimental data are found to fit Langmuir than Freundlich. The maximum adsorption capacity of water vapor on zeolitic material for honeycomb-type adsorbent, which was calculated by Langmuir isotherm model, is comparable to that for pebble-type adsorbent, and heat of water adsorption on zeolitic material for honeycomb-type adsorbent was higher than that for pebble-type adsorbent. These results indicate that honeycomb-type adsorbent using sepiolite-binder is applicable to ACS.