Investigation on tritium breeding capability of solid-liquid breeders in a (DT) fusion driven hybrid reactor

Abstract

In design of deuterium-tritium (DT) fusion driven hybrid reactors, maintaining tritium self-sufficiency is very important to decrease operational costs. A (DT) fusion driven hybrid reactor must produce its own tritium to annihilate external investment on tritium production. Tritium Breeding Ratio (TBR) should be greater than 1.05 to maintain tritium self-sufficiency of the (DT) fusion plasma. Tritium is an artificial isotope that can be bred by using the breeding reactions of Li-6 and Li-7 isotopes. Therefore use and selection of lithium bearing coolants and blanket materials axe very important with respect to tritium self-sufficiency of the (DT) fusion plasma. In this study, tritium breeding potential of various solid breeders Li2TiO3, Li8ZrO6, Li4SiO4, Li2ZrO3 or Li2O with different coolants Li2BeF4 (Flibe), NaF.LiF.BeF2 (Flinabe) or natural lithium in the hybrid blanket using different nuclear carbide fuels was investigated. Computations were carried out by using Scale4.3 solving Boltzmann transport equation. According to numerical results, among the solid breeders Li2O and Li8ZrO6 and among the liquid breeders, natural lithium had the highest contribution to TBR. Furthermore addition of uranium to thorium fuel improved tritium production.