Polonium aspects associated with the use of lead-lithium blankets in fusion applications

Conference · Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1985 · Fusion Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6009078

Hoffman, N J; Blink, J A; Meier, W R; Murray, K A; Vogelsang, W F

Polonium, an alpha-emitting sulfur-like element, is formed by neutron irradiation of lead or bismuth impurity in lead. Design studies of both the Pulse*Star inertial confinement fusion (ICF) reactor and the MARS mirror fusion reactor postulated use of 83Pb-17Li melt as the tritium breeding blanket and coolant. Comparison of the amounts of polonium in the melt at plant shutdown indicated that Pulse*Star would have a far higher level of polonium in the melt. Neutronic considerations and the polonium distribution between the vacuum cleanup system and 83Pb-17Li melt for the two reactors are explored in this paper. Sample neutronics runs showed that the codes used by each design team were not the source of the difference in polonium content.

• Research Organization: ETEC, Canoga Park, CA
• OSTI ID: 6009078
• Report Number(s): CONF-850310-
• Journal Information: Fusion Technol.; (United States), Vol. 8:1; Conference: 6. topical meeting on the technology of fusion energy, San Francisco, CA, USA, 3 Mar 1985
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
BREEDING BLANKETS
NEUTRON FLUX
RADIOACTIVATION
LASER FUSION REACTORS
LEAD BASE ALLOYS
LITHIUM ALLOYS
MARS REACTOR
POLONIUM
ACTIVITY LEVELS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DESIGN
MATERIALS TESTING
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR MATERIALS
VACUUM SYSTEMS
ALLOYS
ELEMENTS
LEAD ALLOYS
MAGNETIC MIRROR TYPE REACTORS
MATERIALS
METALS
RADIATION FLUX
REACTOR COMPONENTS
TESTING
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
700208* - Fusion Power Plant Technology- Inertial Confinement Technology
700201 - Fusion Power Plant Technology- Blanket Engineering
700209 - Fusion Power Plant Technology- Component Development & Materials Testing