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60 Years of U: Perspectives on resources, demand, and the evolving role of nuclear energy
Recent years have seen growing global interest in nuclear energy and rising confidence in the sector. For the first time since the early 2000s, there is renewed optimism about the industry’s future. This change is driven by several major factors: geopolitical developments that highlight the need for secure energy supplies, a stronger focus on resilient energy systems, national commitments to decarbonization, and rising demand for clean and reliable electricity.
M. C. Billone, Y. Y. Liu
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 8 | Number 1 | July 1985 | Pages 881-886
Tritium | Proceedings of the Sixth Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy (San Francisco, California, March 3-7, 1985) | doi.org/10.13182/FST85-A40144
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Models are developed to describe the steady-state percolation of tritium through the solid-breeder interconnected porosity to the purge stream, convection of tritium by the helium purge stream, and permeation of tritium through the structural material to the primary coolant system. Important parameters in the models are tritium generation rate, breeder microstructure, tritium species in the gas phase, temperatures, tritium diffusivities and permeabilities, and effectiveness of oxide barriers. The models are used to perform calculations for fusion-blanket conceptual designs. The results indicate that for isotopic swamping of the purge stream with protium and relatively high oxide impedance factors (∼100 for nonbreeder-side surfaces) the leakage rate from the blanket can be limited to less than 100 Ci/day for reasonable purge flow rates and pressure drops. However, for lower impedance factors and/or for decreased protium partial pressure in the purge, problems do arise with limiting the tritium leakage.