Direct internal recycling fractions approaching unity

Li, Chao; Way, J. Douglas; Fuerst, Thomas F.; Wolden, Colin A.

doi:10.1016/j.fusengdes.2024.114705

Title: Direct internal recycling fractions approaching unity

Journal Article · 02 November 2024 · Fusion Engineering and Design

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fusengdes.2024.114705 · OSTI ID:2496607

Li, Chao ^[1];

^[1];

^[2];

^[1]

Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Direct internal recycling (DIR) refers to the process of recovering pure hydrogen isotopes (D/T) from helium and other impurities in the fusion plasma exhaust and directing them back to the fuel injection system. Increasing the exhaust fraction purified through DIR significantly reduces the size and cost of the tritium plant and provides additional benefits including reduced requirements for both the tritium startup inventory and tritium breeding ratio. Metal foil pumps (MFPs) are the dominant technology for this separation, relying on the concept of superpermeation. We recently demonstrated that PdCu foils operated at low temperature provide both exceptional flux and resilience to helium absorption as the DIR fraction is increased. Herein we design and demonstrate continuous and semi-batch DIR processes using PdCu MFPs. Under continuous processing, stable performance was observed for DIR fractions up to 92 %. In addition, we demonstrate a semi-batch process capable of extending the DIR fraction to unity (> 99.8 %). Under the experimental conditions described within a PdCu MFP area of ~22 m² would be sufficient to process the fusion exhaust with 92 % DIR fraction at expected flowrates of 100 Pa·m³·s^-1 for a future fusion power plant.

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Research Organization:: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC07-05ID14517; AR0001368; SC0025503

OSTI ID:: 2496607

Report Number(s):: INL/JOU--24-80014-Rev000

Journal Information:: Fusion Engineering and Design, Journal Name: Fusion Engineering and Design Vol. 209; ISSN 0920-3796

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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