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Journal ArticleDOI

Beryllium R&D for fusion applications

TL;DR: In this article, the main issues related to the use of Be in a fusion reactor as both neutron multiplier and first wall material are discussed, including potential reactions with steam during accidents and the health and environmental aspects of its use, reprocessing and reuse, or disposal.
About: This article is published in Fusion Engineering and Design.The article was published on 2000-11-01. It has received 37 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Beryllium & FLiBe.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Li2+xTiO3+y pebbles were fabricated using the emulsion method, which is a sol-gel method as discussed by the authors, and the results of the trial fabrications in this work showed that beryllides of Be-Ti and Be-V intermetallics could be synthesized using the plasma sintering method.

41 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Nov 2001
TL;DR: In this paper, beryllium pebbles with a diameter of 0.1-0.2 mm have been irradiated for 200 days in the High Flux Reactor (HFR) in Petten at temperatures ranging from 500 to 600 °C with a fast (>1 MeV) neutron fluence of about 5×1024 m−2.
Abstract: For the Helium Cooled Pebble Bed Blanket, which is one of the two reference concepts studied within the European Fusion Technology Programme, the neutron multiplier presently consists of a mixed bed of about 2 and 0.1–0.2 mm diameter beryllium pebbles. Beryllium pebbles with a diameter of 0.1–0.2 mm have been irradiated for 200 days in the High Flux Reactor (HFR) in Petten at temperatures ranging from 500 to 600 °C with a fast (>1 MeV) neutron fluence of about 5×1024 m−2. Tritium inventories as well as release kinetics of both tritium and helium from the irradiated pebbles were investigated by out-of-pile annealing experiments, heating the samples with 7 °C/min up to 1000 °C and purging them with either He+0.1 vol.% H2 or Ar+1 vol.% H2. According to previous studies, the tritium release from the pebbles was found to be slow and the maximum release rate occurred at a temperature of about 900 °C. Although tritium is released, no helium release is observed at temperatures lower than 800 °C. However, at 900 °C the samples showed a concurrent release of tritium and helium leading to the conclusion that T and He partially reside in common bubbles in the irradiated material.

32 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of additives to lithium titanate (Li2TiO3) have been investigated, and good prospects have been obtained by using oxide additives such as TiO2, CaO and Li2O.
Abstract: In efforts to develop advanced tritium breeders, the effects of additives to lithium titanate (Li2TiO3) have been investigated, and good prospects have been obtained by using oxide additives such as TiO2, CaO and Li2O. As for the neutron multiplier, the development of a real-size electrode fabrication technique and the characterization of beryllium-based intermetallic compounds such as Be?Ti and Be?V have been performed. Properties of Be?Ti alloys have been found to be better than those of beryllium metal. In particular, steam interaction of a Be?Ti alloy was about 1/1000 as small as that of beryllium metal. These activities have led to bright prospects for the realization of the water-cooled DEMO breeder blanket by application of these advanced materials.

29 citations


Cites background from "Beryllium R&D for fusion applicatio..."

  • ...For the neutron multiplier, beryllium (Be) metal is a reference material in the blanket design [7, 8]....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The most extensively used refractory metals are tungsten, tantalum, niobium, rhenium, unalloyed molybdenum and its principal alloy, TZM.
Abstract: The most extensively used refractory metals are tungsten, tantalum, niobium, rhenium, unalloyed molybdenum and its principal alloy, TZM. All of them are characterised by their extremely high melting point above 2000 °C (2273 K) and high hardness at room temperature. They are used in demanding applications that require high-temperature strength and corrosion resistance, for example, wire filaments, casting moulds and chemical reaction vessels in corrosive environments. This contribution is focused on tungsten and new tungsten materials. The intrinsic problems of these materials, that is, their brittleness (even at elevated temperatures), thermal load capacity, heat conductivity, recrystallization, irradiation damage and specific defect processes, such as helium bubbles, swelling, new kinds of surface reactions, crack formation, brittle-to-ductile transition and tritium retention, require the development and assessment of new tungsten materials, and also new fabrication routes and processes.

28 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a new technique of decomposing beryl ore at low temperature with ammonium hydrofluoride (NH4HF2) is proposed to extract beryllium fluoride (BeF2) as a soluble compound.

28 citations

References
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Book
01 Jan 1967
TL;DR: In this paper, a general description is given of the format and method of presenting data, methods and techniques for the collection, evaluation, processing, and retrieval of information in the preparation of the work entitled, "Thermophysical Properties of High Temperature Solid Materials".
Abstract: Abstract : A general description is given of the format and method of presenting data, methods and techniques for the collection, evaluation, processing, and retrieval of information in the preparation of the work entitled, 'Thermophysical Properties of High Temperature Solid Materials'. This major work on thermophysical properties will be available commercially early in 1967. (Author)

958 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The MSRE as mentioned in this paper is an 8MW (th) reactor in which molten fluoride salt at 1200°F circulates through a core of graphite bars, and its purpose was to demonstrate the practicality of the key features of molten-sal...
Abstract: The MSRE is an 8-MW(th) reactor in which molten fluoride salt at 1200°F circulates through a core of graphite bars. Its purpose was to demonstrate the practicality of the key features of molten-sal...

368 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the liquid-wall HYLIFE-II conceptual design has been presented, which has been shown to reduce the electricity cost by using a neutronically thick array of flowing molten-salt jets, which will not burn, has a low tritium solubility and inventory, and protects the chamber walls.
Abstract: Enhanced safety and performance improvements have been made to the liquid-wall HYLIFE reactor, yielding the current HYLIFE-II conceptual design. Liquid lithium has been replaced with a neutronically thick array of flowing molten-salt jets (Li[sub 2]BeF[sub 4] or Flibe), which will not burn, has a low tritium solubility and inventory, and protects the chamber walls, giving a robust design with a 30-yr lifetime. The tritium inventory is 0.5 g in the molten salt and 140 g in the metal of the tube walls, where it is less easily released. The 5-MJ driver is a recirculating induction accelerator estimated to cost $570 million (direct costs). Heavy-ion targets yield 350 MJ, six times per second, to produce 940 MW of electrical power for a cost of 6.5 cents/kW[center dot]h. Both larger and smaller yields are possible with correspondingly lower and higher pulse rates. When scaled up to 1934 MW (electric), the plant design has a calculated cost of electricity of 4.5 cents/kW[center dot]h. The design did not take into account potential improved plant availability and lower operations and maintenance costs compared with conventional power plant experience, resulting from the liquid wall protection. Such improvements would directly lower the electricity cost figures. For example,more » if the availability can be raised from the conservatively assumed 75% to 85% and the annual cost of component replacement, operations, and maintenance can be reduced from 6% to 3% of direct cost, the cost of electricity would drop to 5.0 and 3.9 cents/kW[center dot]h for 1- and 2-GW (electric) cases. 50 refs., 15 figs., 3 tabs.« less

273 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The surface recombination rate for hydrogen isotopes on a metal has been calculated using a simple model whose parameters may be determined by direct experimental measurements as discussed by the authors, using the experimental values for hydrogen diffusivity, solubility, and sticking coefficient at zero surface coverage.

217 citations

Journal ArticleDOI

165 citations