Uranium Bed Design Parameters for Tritium Plants Supporting Fusion Reactors

• Published in: Fusion science and technology Vol. 77; no. 7-8; pp. 836 - 841
• Main Authors: Hypes-Mayfield, Victoria, Kubic, William, Dogruel, David, Hollis, Kirk, Willms, Scott, Dumont, Joseph H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 17.11.2021; American Nuclear Society
• Subjects: fusion fuel cycle; hydrogen storage; SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; Tritium storage; uranium bed; uranium hydride; uranium hydride reaction kinetics
• ISSN: 1536-1055; 1943-7641
• DOI: 10.1080/15361055.2021.1883978

Uranium hydride is commonly used to store hydrogen or its isotopes in a solid state. The Self-Assaying Tritium Accountancy and Containment Unit for ITER (STACI) is a 5.2-kg bed of depleted uranium (dU) capable of holding up to 33 mol of hydrogen or its isotopes. This paper is a summary of data analysis of past experimental campaigns with STACI, with the aim of describing the kinetics and thermodynamics of the hydriding process. Computed tomography imaging was performed on STACI both before and after its experimental campaign, and a high degree of swelling was observed in the dU. Literature on studies in regard to the swelling of large (multikilogram) quantities of uranium hydride for storage applications was not identified during this study. Data from the experimental campaign, as well as data on the formation reaction, are presented. The authors hope to create an analytical model of STACI based on these data.