Flibe/Be/He/FS concept (R = 1)

Technical Report · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5841581· OSTI ID:5841581

Moir, R

The blanket concept is described. Beryllium, in the form of pebbles nominally 1 cm diameter in a 20 cm thick bed, is employed to multiply neutrons. The multiplier zone is followed by a zone of silicon carbide (SiC) which slows neutrons. Neutrons are captured in the Lithium-6 carried in the molten fluoride salt (LiF + BeF- melting point, 363/sup 0/C) to breed tritium and release extra energy in exothermic nuclear rections. The salt flows slowly through tubes in the blanket and out to a simple flash separator where the tritium is removed. Helium flows radially through the Be pebble bed and SiC region carrying the heat out to the thermal conversion plant. The tubes are coated either on the inside or outside with a 10 ..mu..m tungsten barrier by chemical vapor deposition to cut down tritium permeation to the helium coolant circuit. With the tungsten barrier on the inside the tritium inventory in the tube walls is small and tungsten will contribute to corrosion inhibition. A 1-mm aluminum jacket on the steam generator tubes keeps the tritium permeation to the steam down to 30 curies per day. The design can be converted into a fission-suppressed fissile breeder by thickening the beryllium zone by a factor of 2 or so and adding ThF/sub 4/ to the salt in which case 6 tonnes of uranium-233 would be produced per year.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5841581
• Report Number(s): UCID-20233; ON: DE86011009
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700201* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Blanket Engineering
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BERYLLIUM
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BREEDING BLANKETS
BREEDING RATIO
CONVERSION RATIO
DESIGN
ELEMENTS
FIRST WALL
FLIBE
FLUIDS
GASES
HELIUM
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
METALS
MOLTEN SALTS
NONMETALS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
RARE GASES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
SALTS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR WALLS
TRITIUM
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES