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Tritium Breeder Layer Evaluation of Fusion-Fission Hybrid System

Renato Vinicius A. Marques, Marcia Saturnino, Felipe Martins, Carlos Eduardo Velasquez Cabrera, Claubia Pereira Bezerra Lima, Maria Auxiliadora Fortini Veloso, Antonella Lombardi Costa

Fusion Science and Technology / Volume 76 / Number 2 / February 2020 / Pages 145-152

Technical Paper / dx.doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2019.1704594

Received:May 31, 2018
Accepted:December 10, 2019
Published:February 24, 2020

Lead-bismuth eutectic is used as a coolant for the fusion-fission hybrid system (FFS) based on a tokamak that enhances the transmutation of transuranic nuclides. However, this coolant does not produce enough tritium to supply the fusion reactions of the system. Therefore, the aim of this work is to evaluate the insertion of tritium breeder layers (TBLs) on the FFS to enhance tritium production. The analyzed materials for tritium production were beryllium, boron, and lithium alloys. The results indicate the most suitable material for tritium production depends on the TBL location. The results also indicate that there is a strong dependency on the position of the TBL affecting the neutronic parameters and nuclide transmutation such as criticality and fuel depletion. The reaction rates for tritium production and fuel composition after a fuel burnup were analyzed using the Monte Carlo N-Particle 5 (MCNP5) and MONTEBURNS codes.