Tritium Management Loop Design Status

This report summarizes physical, chemical, and engineering analyses that have been performed to support development of a test loop to study tritium migration in FLiBe (2LiF-BeF2) salts. The loop will operate under turbulent flow, and a schematic of the apparatus has been used to develop a model in Mathcad to suggest flow parameters that should be targeted in loop operation. The introduction of tritium into the loop has been discussed, as well as various means to capture or divert the tritium from egress through a test assembly. Permeation was calculated, starting with the development of a Modelica model for a transport through a nickel window into a vacuum, followed by modification of the model for a FLiBe system with an argon sweep gas on the downstream side of the permeation interface. Results suggest that tritium removal with a simple tubular permeation device will occur readily. Although this system is idealized, it suggests that rapid measurement capability in the loop may be necessary to study and understand tritium removal from the system.

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