Development of a plasma driven permeation experiment for TPE

Journal Article · Fri Apr 18 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Fusion Engineering and Design

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fusengdes.2014.03.009· OSTI ID:1162219

Buchenauer, Dean ^[1]; Kolasinski, Robert ^[1]; Shimada, Masa ^[2]; Donovan, David ^[1]; Youchison, Dennis ^[3]; Merrill, Brad ^[2]

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1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
2. Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
3. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Experiments on retention of hydrogen isotopes (including tritium) at temperatures less than 800 ?C have been carried out in the Tritium Plasma Experiment (TPE) at Idaho National Laboratory [1,2]. To provide a direct measurement of plasma driven permeation in plasma facing materials at temperatures reaching 1000 ?C, a new TPE membrane holder has been built to hold test specimens (=1 mm in thickness) at high temperature while measuring tritium permeating through the membrane from the plasma facing side. This measurement is accomplished by employing a carrier gas that transports the permeating tritium from the backside of the membrane to ion chambers giving a direct measurement of the plasma driven tritium permeation rate. Isolation of the membrane cooling and sweep gases from TPE’s vacuum chamber has been demonstrated by sealing tests performed up to 1000 ?C of a membrane holder design that provides easy change out of membrane specimens between tests. Simulations of the helium carrier gas which transports tritium to the ion chamber indicate a very small pressure drop (~700 Pa) with good flow uniformity (at 1000 sccm). Thermal transport simulations indicate that temperatures up to 1000 ?C are expected at the highest TPE fluxes.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 1162219
• Report Number(s): INL/JOU-14-33530; PII: S0920379614001823; TRN: US1600627
• Journal Information: Fusion Engineering and Design, Vol. 89, Issue 7-8; ISSN 0920-3796
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
Permeation
Plasma
Tritium