Tritium Breeding Blanket

The terms of reference for ITER provide for incorporation of a tritium breeding blanket with a breeding ratio as close to unity as practical.^1–4 A breeding blanket is required to assure an adequate supply of tritium to meet the program objectives. Based on specified design criteria, a ceramic breeder concept with water coolant and an austenitic steel structure has been selected as the first option and lithium-lead blanket concept has been chosen as an alternate option. The first wall, blanket, and shield are integrated into a single unit with separate cooling systems. The design makes extensive use of beryllium to enhance the tritium breeding ratio. The design goals with a tritium breeding ratio of 0.8–0.9 have been achieved and the R&D requirements to qualify the design have been identified.