Speaker
Description
The Tritium Breeder (TriBreed) demonstrator project aims to develop a prototype breeding device that will enable accurate measurements of tritium production and develop novel breeding materials. TriBreed will act as a stepping stone between previous and planned tritium breeding experiments based on low flux neutron generators (typically 10$^{10}$ n s$^{-1}$) and LIBRTI, by taking advantage of the high neutron flux produced by University of Birmingham’s new High Flux Accelerator-Driven Neutron Facility (2.5$\times$10$^{12}$ n s$^{-1}$) to produce more tritium than previous experiments, significantly reducing uncertainty in measurements of tritium production without excessively extending experiment times. The TriBreed prototype is a flexible device that enables the creation of a realistic breeding environment with an online and post hoc diagnostic system, enabling precise measurements of the neutron flux and tritium production and determination of an accurate Tritium Production Ratio (TPR). Manufacture of the prototype is coupled with the development of a high-fidelity neutronics model to enable a prediction of the TPR in the TriBreed device. By combining high precision measurements with accurate neutronics predictions, we aim to increase confidence in the modelling tools being used for the design of reactor blanket designs.
The TriBreed project will also adopt a novel approach to examining tritium release by using a highly sensitive Accelerator Mass Spectrometer that can detect femtograms of material to determine what fraction of tritium remains in the breeder material after purging, something that cannot be determined using existing approaches. This will enable identification of tritium retention that might compromise the sustainability of the fuel cycle.
Therefore, the TriBreed project addresses both the generation of tritium and its accurate measurement and its recovery from the ceramic breeder materials.
| Speaker affiliation | Lancaster University |
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