Potential coatings for Li/V system: Nuclear performance and design issues

Abstract Many oxide and nitride coatings are under consideration worldwide for vanadium (V) structure to mitigate the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) pumping power losses for the self-cooled lithium (Li) blanket system. To date, researchers have focused on the MHD resistance, compatibility, adherence, thermodynamic, and interface issues, paying little attention to the nuclear concerns. This assessment examines the nuclear-related issues for the leading coatings proposed for the self-healing approach in particular. Specifically, we assessed the impact of the coating additives to Li on the breeding potential of a typical Li/V system. An important outcome of this study has been to identify the coatings that compromise the breeding and rank the remaining candidates based on their nuclear behavior using the ARIES-RS operating conditions. It appears likely that the nuclear requirements will have an important impact on the choice of the coating material and on the maximum coating concentration in Li. Potential solutions that mitigate the effect of coatings and compensate for the breeding losses are discussed in the paper. However, these solutions introduce additional requirements and concerns that must be considered in future studies.