Beryllium usage in fusion blankets and beryllium data needs. [None]
Increasing numbers of designers are choosing beryllium for fusion reactor blankets because it, among all nonfissile materials, produces the highest number (2.5 neutron in an infinite media) of neutrons per 14-MeV incident neutron. In amounts of about 20 cm of equivalent solid density, it can be used to produce fissile material, to breed all the tritium consumed in ITER from outboard blankets only, and in designs to produce Co-60. The problem is that predictions of neutron multiplication in beryllium are off by some 10 to 20% and appear to be on the high side, which means that better multiplication measurements and numerical methods are needed. The n,2n reactions result in two helium atoms, which cause radiation damage in the form of hardening at low temperatures (<300/degree/C) and swelling at high temperatures (>300/degree/C). The usual way beryllium parts are made is by hot pressing the powder. A lower cost method is to cold press and then sinter. There is no radiation damage data on this form of beryllium. The issues of corrosion, safety relative to the release of the tritium built-up inside beryllium, and recycle of used beryllium are also discussed. 10 figs.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 5091979
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-97426; CONF-880417-8; ON: DE88008676
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: International symposium on fusion nuclear technology, Tokyo, Japan, 10 Apr 1988
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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BERYLLIUM
BREEDING BLANKETS
COBALT 60
CORROSION
COST
DAMAGING NEUTRON FLUENCE
MOLTEN SALT REACTORS
NEUTRONS
SAFETY
SHIELDING
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR MATERIALS
TRITIUM
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BARYONS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COBALT ISOTOPES
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
FERMIONS
HADRONS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MATERIALS
METALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NEUTRON FLUENCE
NUCLEI
NUCLEONS
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
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REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
700209* - Fusion Power Plant Technology- Component Development & Materials Testing
700201 - Fusion Power Plant Technology- Blanket Engineering