http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3 http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods-3-2.xsd
investigation of aqueous slurries as fusion reactor blankets
Numerical and experimental studies were carried out to assess the feasibility of using an aqueous slurry, with lithium in its solid component, to meet the tritium breeding, cooling, and shielding requirements of a controlled thermonuclear reactor (CTR). The numerical studies were designed to demonstrate the theoretical ability of a conceptual slurry blanket to breed adequate tritium to sustain the CTR. The experimental studies were designed to show that the tritium retention characteristics of likely solid components for the slurry were conducive to adequate tritium recovery without the need for isotopic separation. The numerical portion of this work consisted in part of using ANISN, a one-dimensional finite difference neutron transport code, to model the neutronic performance of the slurry blanket concept. The parameters governing tritium production and retention in a slurry were computed and used to modify the results of the ANISN computer runs. The numerical work demonstrated that the slurry blanket was only marginally capable of breeding sufficient tritium without the aid of a neutron multiplying region. The highest theoretical tritium breeding ratio, based on tritium retained in the solid portion of the slurry, achieved without a neutron multiplying region was 1.08 tritons per fusion neutron. A theoretical tritium breeding ratio greater than 1.2 tritons per fusion neutron could be achieved by including a beryllium layer in the first wall of the blanket. The experimental portion of this work consisted of several neutron irradiation experiments, which were designed to determine the retention abilities of LiF particles. The experiments measured tritium recoil losses, tritium retention versus time, and tritium retention versus temperature. The experimental results indicated that the tritium retention properties of LiF were adequate for the purposes of the slurry blanket concept.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 149-152).