System for tritium removal and solidification recovery of tungsten-based dust in fusion reactor by electron beam melting

Abstract

The application provides a fusion reactor tungsten-based dust electron beam smelting deuterium removal and solidification recovery system, and particularly discloses a metal dust recovery system, which comprises a fusion reactor main machine vacuum chamber, a dust collecting and feeding unit connected with the fusion reactor main machine vacuum chamber and used for collecting dust generated by the fusion reactor main machine vacuum chamber, a high-temperature deuterium removal smelting treatment unit connected with the dust collecting and feeding unit and used for treating the dust collected by the dust collecting and feeding unit, and a solid ingot transfer and storage unit connected with the high-temperature deuterium removal smelting treatment unit and used for transferring and / or storing the dust treated by the high-temperature deuterium removal smelting treatment unit. The metal dust recovery system is efficient and safe.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of nuclear fusion engineering, specifically to a system for electron beam melting, detritium removal, solidification, and recovery of tungsten-based dust in fusion reactors. Background Technology

[0002] Future commercial nuclear fusion reactors (such as ITER and DEMO) will widely use high-melting-point tungsten as the first wall and divertor material. During long-pulse, high-power plasma operation, a large amount of tungsten dust will inevitably be generated. Dust sources include plasma sputtering erosion, thermal melting splashes, and coating peeling, with particle sizes ranging from micrometers to hundreds of micrometers. As the operating parameters of fusion devices increase, dust generation is expected to increase significantly; for example, it is estimated that the ITER device could generate a deposition layer hundreds of micrometers thick and a large amount of dust in just 10 days of operation, and the cumulative generation in a year of operation for future commercial reactors could reach more than one ton. Therefore, dust generation in future commercial reactors will be characterized by large quantities and is difficult to avoid, requiring effective treatment methods.

[0003] Metal dust within fusion reactors poses serious safety hazards. On one hand, dust particles often contain radioactive substances such as tritium, and can themselves become radioactive due to neutron activation. For example, tungsten dust adsorbs and traps deuterium-tritium in fusion fuel and is considered a significant source of tritium contamination. Tritium resources are extremely precious and have limited natural reserves, making its recovery and reuse from dust crucial. On the other hand, radioactive dust particles are small, dry, and loose, making them highly susceptible to suspension and migration under airflow or disturbance, posing a risk of easily diffused pollution. In particular, tritium-containing dust, due to the beta decay of tritium, can induce positive electrostatic charges in the particles, causing them to repel each other and remain suspended, making this type of dust more mobile and mobilizable than ordinary non-radioactive dust.

[0004] The release of a large amount of radioactive dust under accident conditions would have severe consequences. Furthermore, if the high-temperature structure fails, allowing air / water to enter the vacuum chamber, tungsten and other metallic dust remaining on the high-temperature surfaces will undergo a violent exothermic oxidation reaction with the water vapor, releasing hydrogen gas and posing a dual risk of hydrogen deflagration and dust explosion. Given these dangers, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) has set strict limits on the stockpile of mobilizable dust (e.g., the total mass of mobilizable dust should not exceed approximately 670 kg) to ensure safe operation; tungsten dust, due to its high radioactivity, is of particular concern, and its permissible accumulation is limited to approximately 100 kg.

[0005] Therefore, how to safely collect, process, and reduce the volume of these highly radioactive metal dusts, and how to recover the tritium contained therein to the greatest extent possible, are difficult technical problems that fusion engineering urgently needs to solve. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The inventors discovered that currently, the polluting dust generated by fusion devices is mainly collected through vacuum extraction and sedimentation, lacking a deep detritium removal and solidification system for metallic dust. Early treatment of tritium-containing carbon sheets and dust involved high-temperature oxidation incineration to release and recover the tritium; however, for metallic dust such as tungsten, simple oxidation incineration is unsuitable because the metal oxide residue still requires treatment and may continue to retain tritium. This invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes an integrated tungsten dust tritium recovery and solidification system, which is of great significance for improving fuel self-sufficiency and safe operation of fusion reactors. This invention provides a highly efficient and safe recovery and treatment system for the large amount of tritium-containing tungsten metallic dust left after the operation of commercial fusion reactors. This invention aims to address the pain points of existing technologies regarding the high radioactivity, easy diffusion, and difficulty in handling of tungsten dust, achieving two main technical objectives: first, to maximize the recovery of valuable deuterium-tritium nuclear fuel from the dust, improving fuel recycling efficiency; and second, to transform "easily migratable radioactive dust" into "difficult-to-diff solid ingots," reducing the risk of accidental dust leakage and radiation source terms from the source. The core problem this invention addresses is how to thoroughly detritiumize high-temperature, refractory tungsten particles in a highly radioactive environment and solidify them into a easily controlled and stored solid form.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a metal dust recovery system. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the metal dust recovery system includes:

[0008] The vacuum chamber of the fusion reactor main unit,

[0009] A dust collection and feeding unit, connected to the vacuum chamber of the fusion reactor main unit, is used to collect the dust generated in the vacuum chamber of the fusion reactor main unit.

[0010] A high-temperature deuterium desmelting and smelting unit, connected to the dust collection and feeding unit, is used to process the dust collected by the dust collection and feeding unit.

[0011] A solid ingot transfer and storage unit, connected to the high-temperature deuteration smelting unit, is used to transfer and / or store the dust processed by the high-temperature deuteration smelting unit. This metal dust recovery system is highly efficient and safe, maximizing the recovery of valuable deuterium-tritium nuclear fuel from the dust and improving fuel recycling efficiency; it can also convert "easily migratable radioactive dust" into "difficult-to-diffuse solid ingots," reducing the risk of accidental dust leakage and radiation source terms from the source.

[0012] According to embodiments of the present invention, the above-described metal dust recovery system may further include at least one of the following additional technical features:

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the metal in the metal dust is an activated metal.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the activated metal is tungsten, beryllium, copper and / or copper alloys, ferritic and / or martensitic steel or tungsten-based alloys (W-La2O3, W-Cu, etc.).

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the activated metal is tungsten, and the temperature in the high-temperature deuteration smelting unit is set to above 3400°C.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the activated metal is beryllium, and the temperature in the high-temperature deuteration smelting unit is set to above 1300°C.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the activated metal is steel, and the temperature in the high-temperature deuteration smelting unit is set to above 1600°C.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the solid ingot transfer and storage unit is equipped with a cooling crucible, which is used to solidify and shape the dust treated by the high-temperature deuterium smelting unit to obtain metal ingots, cakes, pellets, briquettes or sintered blanks.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the metal dust recovery system further includes a fusion reactor exhaust treatment system, which is connected to the fusion reactor main vacuum chamber and the dust collection and feeding unit, respectively, and is used to transport the dust generated in the fusion reactor main vacuum chamber to the dust collection and feeding unit.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the metal dust recovery system further includes a deuterium-tritium gas recovery system, which is connected to the high-temperature deuteration smelting unit and the fusion reactor main vacuum chamber, respectively. The deuterium-tritium gas recovery system is used to collect the deuterium-tritium gas generated by the high-temperature deuteration smelting unit.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the deuterium-tritium gas is converted into deuterium-tritium fuel in the deuterium-tritium gas recovery system, and the deuterium-tritium fuel is input into the vacuum chamber of the fusion reactor main unit.

[0022] According to embodiments of the present invention, the metal dust recovery system of the present invention significantly improves the safety and resource utilization efficiency of fusion reactor radioactive metal dust treatment by innovatively combining electron beam vacuum melting and tritium isotope recovery technology. First, the metal dust recovery system of the present invention maximizes the recovery of residual deuterium-tritium fuel in the dust, enabling the recycling of valuable tritium resources and alleviating the bottleneck in fusion fuel supply. Through high-temperature detritium removal, the removal rate of tritium contained in the dust is extremely high (currently achieving a removal efficiency of >99%), significantly reducing the total tritium activity in the waste, thereby reducing environmental tritium release and the burden of downstream waste management. Second, the metal dust recovery system of the present invention directly transforms loose, easily airborne powder into dense metal blocks, effectively eliminating the risk of dust resuspension and diffusion. The solidified ingots have high mechanical strength and good chemical stability, and can be safely grasped and transported by robotic arms, unlike powder which is difficult to control. This greatly reduces the risk of radioactive source terms during fusion reactor maintenance, repair, and accident scenarios. Compared to traditional methods of directly collecting and storing dust, the metal dust recovery system according to embodiments of the present invention significantly reduces the volume and surface area of ​​radioactive dust, decreases the amount of waste classified, and facilitates subsequent storage or disposal. Furthermore, because the system adopts a modular, integrated layout and is combined with existing fuel cycle facilities (TEP / ISS), it can achieve automated and continuous processing operations in a hot chamber environment, avoiding human intervention and exposure, ensuring overall process safety and reliability. In summary, the present invention provides a highly efficient dust tritium recovery and solidification technology for future commercial fusion power plants, which has significant technical value for improving the fuel self-sufficiency rate and operational safety of fusion reactors.

[0023] According to an embodiment of the present invention, one of the following high-temperature heat sources can be provided in the high-temperature deuteration smelting treatment unit of the metal dust recovery system:

[0024] (1) Replace electron beam melting (EBR) with plasma arc / vacuum arc melting (PAM / VAR) to achieve the same high-temperature detritium removal and metal melting solidification;

[0025] (2) Replace EBR with laser beam melting (LBM) or cold crucible induction / skull shell melting (CCIM / ISM), and use water-cooled segmented copper crucibles to form a self-generated "skull shell" for isolation to suppress contamination;

[0026] (3) For scenarios where complete melting is not required, the integrated treatment of “detritium removal + densification” is achieved by high-temperature sintering in a vacuum / inert atmosphere or hot isostatic pressing (HIP).

[0027] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the high-temperature deuterium desmelting and smelting treatment unit in the metal dust recovery system can be configured with one of the following detritonation process paths:

[0028] (1) Two-stage detritium removal: First, the detritium is desorbed by a programmed temperature rise in an independent pre-detritium heating chamber (vacuum baking / argon-hydrogen scavenging), and then it is transferred to the melting chamber to complete melting and ingot formation.

[0029] (2) Introduce hydrogen-absorbing / tritium-absorbing materials (Zr-V-Fe, etc.) to capture hydrogen isotopes in the released gas online as an alternative pretreatment unit for the front end of the ISS.

[0030] According to embodiments of the present invention, the deuterium-tritium gas recovery system in a metal dust recovery system can be configured as follows:

[0031] (1) The desorbed gas is first pretreated in TEP (condensation, dust removal, catalytic oxidation / drying bed) and then sent to ISS for deep separation; or it is directly connected to ISS, and the pretreatment function is undertaken by the ISS front stage.

[0032] (2) Set up any combination of low temperature cold trap / molecular sieve / activated oxidation bed / palladium membrane purification before ISS to improve tritium recovery efficiency.

[0033] According to embodiments of the present invention, the metal dust involved in the metal dust recovery system can be one of the following:

[0034] (1) The dust objects can be extended to activated metal dusts such as beryllium, copper and / or copper alloys, ferritic and / or martensitic steels, and tungsten-based alloys (W-La2O3, W-Cu, etc.).

[0035] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the solid form stored in the solid ingot transfer and storage unit involved in the metal dust recovery system is one of the following:

[0036] (1) The solidified form can be ingot, cake, pellet, briquette, sintered blank, etc., depending on the needs of downstream storage or reuse.

[0037] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a metal dust recovery system has one of the following system layouts and operating modes:

[0038] (1) The modular layout can be directly connected within the same radiation protection boundary “EBR-TEP-ISS-hot room”, or it can be arranged in zones and connected by double enclosed pipe corridors.

[0039] (2) The operation mode supports batch processing and quasi-continuous processing (rotary drum / slide rail multi-cavity rotation) to adapt to the dust generation rhythm of different devices.

[0040] According to embodiments of the present invention, the metal dust recovery system has at least one of the following advantages:

[0041] (1) Closed-loop integrated process: Dust collection, high-temperature detritium removal / smelting, tail gas recovery (TEP / ISS), hot chamber transfer and shielded storage are all incorporated into a single negative pressure / inert boundary. The process has no open transport and no exposure to atmospheric pressure, which significantly reduces the risk of secondary dust and escape.

[0042] (2) Standardized docking of EBR with TEP / ISS and hot chamber: adopting a double valve + evacuation chamber or a three-valve chamber structure to form a four-step method of "docking-evacuation-replacement-valve opening" to achieve zero leakage transfer of radioactive gas and dust.

[0043] (3) Remote operation hot chamber: The ingot is directly taken out by the robotic arm / thermal clamp and put into the shielded container within the same protective boundary, forming a dust-free closed-loop transfer of the solidified product.

[0044] (4) Form transformation: The "diffusible dust" is transformed into "high-density solid ingot" in one step, which significantly reduces the specific surface area per unit mass and the probability of dust re-entrainment, thereby compressing the radioactive source term;

[0045] (5) Fuel recovery: The detritium exhaust gas is recovered in a closed loop and incorporated into the ISS for separation, realizing the closed-loop recycling and reuse of tritium / deuterium, reducing external purchases and inventory;

[0046] (6) Multiple protections: negative pressure isolation, online tritium monitoring, automatic bypass / cut-off for over-limit, redundant air extraction and filtration, integrated fire / explosion / static electricity prevention and control (including grounding, oxygen limitation, and ignition source isolation).

[0047] (7) Material range: Except for tungsten dust, it is suitable for detritium removal and curing of activated metal dust such as beryllium, ferritic / martensitic steel, copper and its alloys, and tungsten-based alloys;

[0048] (8) Mode range: Supports batch / quasi-continuous operation; supports different deployment modes such as single-cavity / multi-cavity rotation and centralized TEP-distributed EBR;

[0049] (9) Reuse path: The solidified products can be directly stored or refining / remanufacturing to form a closed-loop utilization of materials.

[0050] (10) Fuel recovery – to achieve effective recovery of deuterium and tritium in dust and send it to the ISS for reuse;

[0051] (11) Source term reduction - converting easily diffused dust into difficult-to-diffuse solid ingots, significantly reducing the mobilizable source terms under operation and maintenance and abnormal working conditions;

[0052] (12) Scalability - Adapt to different metal dusts and dust generation rhythms of different devices through replaceable process packages and parameter libraries;

[0053] (13) Safe and maintainable - the entire process is closed, negative pressure, and remotely operated, reducing the risk of personnel dose and environmental release. Attached Figure Description

[0054] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0055] Figure 1 This is a fusion reactor tungsten dust tritium recovery and treatment system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0056] The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0057] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the term "connected" should be interpreted broadly. For example, it can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and it can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0058] According to embodiments of the present invention, the present invention provides a fusion reactor tungsten dust tritium recovery and treatment system, the overall integrated layout of which is as follows: Figure 1 As shown.

[0059] 1. Vacuum chamber of the fusion reactor main unit,

[0060] 2. Dust Collection and Feeding Unit: This unit is connected to the vacuum chamber of the fusion reactor main unit and is used to collect dust generated in the vacuum chamber. Tungsten-based dust from the fusion reactor main unit vacuum chamber or fuel cycle system (such as the dust separator in the Tokamak exhaust treatment TEP system) is introduced into the processing device of this system under sealed conditions. The dust can be temporarily stored in a vacuum-sealed container and then fed into the subsequent high-temperature processing chamber via an airlock feeding device, preventing dust leakage throughout the process.

[0061] 3. High-Temperature De-tritium Melting Unit (Electron Beam Melting Chamber, EBR): This unit is connected to the dust collection and feeding unit. The core processing device is an electron beam heating melting chamber. This chamber is equipped with a high-vacuum pumping system and an electron beam accelerator, enabling the heating and melting of dust in a high-vacuum atmosphere. The electron beam, as a high-energy heat source, can directly melt tungsten powder into a liquid metal at temperatures of several thousand degrees Celsius, eventually solidifying it into ingots. The melting chamber preferably uses a water-cooled copper crucible or a cooling bed structure to hold the molten metal, avoiding reaction with the crucible. During the process, as the temperature rises, adsorbed or dissolved gaseous isotopes such as deuterium and tritium in the tungsten dust are desorbed by heating. The EBR device operates at a vacuum level of 10⁻³ to 10⁻⁵ MPa to provide a good electron beam transmission environment and rapidly remove volatile gases. The melting temperature is adjusted according to the material and volume of the dust. For tungsten dust, it is generally heated to no less than approximately 3400°C to ensure complete melting and detritium removal. The electron beam heating power and scanning rate are adjustable to control the uniformity of the molten pool temperature and the rate of volatile release. The tritium-containing gas released during the high-temperature detritium removal stage is continuously extracted from the melting chamber through an extraction pipeline.

[0062] 4. Deuterium-Tritium Gas Recovery System (ISS): This system is connected to both the high-temperature deuteration smelting unit and the vacuum chamber of the fusion reactor main unit. Deuterium and tritium isotope gases extracted from the smelting chamber are transported via dedicated pipelines to the hydrogen isotope separation system (ISS) of the fusion fuel cycle for recovery. The isotope separation system then performs cryogenic distillation or gas diffusion on the recovered hydrogen gas to separate and purify tritium and deuterium. The purified tritium and deuterium gases can be returned to the fusion fuel cycle system for reinjection into the reactor core, achieving closed-loop recycling. The entire exhaust gas recovery pipeline is vacuum-sealed and equipped with tritium monitors and multi-stage isolation valves to ensure no tritium leakage. For the extremely small amount of exhaust gas that cannot be recovered, catalytic combustion-molecular sieve purification and emission devices are also installed to ensure that the exhaust gas meets emission standards.

[0063] 5. Solid Ingot Transfer and Storage Unit (Hot Chamber): This unit is connected to the high-temperature de-deuteration smelting unit. After electron beam smelting, tungsten dust is solidified into dense metal ingots, which remain at the bottom of the smelting chamber. Once the ingots have cooled to a safe temperature, the system performs subsequent processing through the docked hot chamber (remote handling thermally isolated operating room). The smelting chamber is equipped with a sealed transfer compartment or flange interface, connected to the hot chamber robotic arm, allowing the metal ingots to be removed from the smelting chamber remotely. The ingots are placed in a shielded container and sent to the radioactive waste storage unit for temporary storage or final disposal. Because the ingots are in a high-density solid state, they are not easily re-generated as dust, and all tritium contamination on their surface has been removed during the smelting process. The "source term" activity and radiotoxicity are significantly reduced compared to the powder before treatment. The entire transfer and storage process is conducted under sealed and remote control, minimizing the risk of radiation exposure and contamination to personnel.

[0064] 6. System Integration and Expansion: The above-mentioned units can be modularly arranged in the same project area to achieve integrated and coordinated operation (see...). Figure 1 For example, the EBR melting unit can be directly connected to the TEP / ISS tritium treatment system and hot chamber operation unit via pipelines and compartments to construct a complete dust detritium removal and solidification production line, reducing intermediate transportation links and secondary pollution. In addition to treating tungsten dust, this system can also be used for detritium removal and melting recovery of other highly activated metal dusts with appropriate parameter adjustments. For example, beryllium dust (originating from the first wall coating or cladding material) can be melted into ingots at temperatures above approximately 1287°C; ferritic / martensitic steel dust (originating from structural wear debris) can be melted at temperatures above approximately 1500°C. During the detritium removal process of the above-mentioned different materials, the holding time can be appropriately extended according to their tritium adsorption characteristics to ensure complete tritium release. Therefore, the system of this invention has good compatibility and scalability, and can meet the volume reduction and stabilization treatment needs of various metal radioactive dusts in future fusion reactors.

[0065] Its specific operation process includes the following steps:

[0066] 1. Dust Loading: The collected tungsten dust sample is sealed in a transfer container and introduced into the electron beam melting chamber (EBR) reaction chamber via a vacuum-connected feeding device. During the feeding process, a vacuum or inert gas protection is maintained in the powder feeding channel to ensure that dust does not leak and pollute the environment. Vacuum lock hoppers and multi-stage valves are designed to achieve quantitative feeding and safe isolation.

[0067] 2. High-Temperature Melting and Tritium De-depletion: The electron beam melting chamber is activated, the high-vacuum pumping system is turned on, and the electron beam heater is activated to heat the tungsten dust within the chamber at high temperatures. When the vacuum level reaches, for example, approximately 10⁻⁴ MPa, the electron beam scans and focuses on the powder, causing a rapid rise in local temperature and ultimately melting all the powder into a molten pool. The melting process lasts from several minutes to tens of minutes, depending on the dust volume and electron beam power. For tungsten materials, the melting temperature is increased to approximately 3500℃ (above the melting point of tungsten, approximately 3422℃) and maintained for a period of time to ensure complete liquefaction and grain remodeling. Under high-temperature, high-vacuum conditions, the deuterium and tritium isotopes adsorbed in the dust will continuously desorb and escape from the solid matrix, which is promptly removed by the vacuum pump. For other metal dusts such as beryllium or steel, the electron beam power can be adjusted according to their melting points to maintain the temperature above approximately 1300℃ or 1600℃, respectively, to achieve melting and complete tritium de-depletion. Throughout the heating process, the molten pool status is monitored via a viewing window and camera. During the peak detritium removal period, the vacuum pumping system rapidly removes the released gas to prevent excessive pressure rise in the chamber from affecting electron beam stability. The released tritium-containing gas is extracted from the rear of the EBR chamber via a high-temperature resistant stainless steel pipe and enters the exhaust gas recovery pipeline.

[0068] 3. Isotope Gas Recovery: The gas mixture generated from tritium removal first enters a condensation and trapping device to cool and filter out any entrained tungsten vapor or dust particles. Subsequently, the gas is introduced into the conventional tritium treatment system of the fusion reactor. The resulting hydrogen isotope gas is then introduced into a cryogenic distillation hydrogen isotope separation system (ISS) for the separation, purification, and recovery of tritium and deuterium. The separated pure tritium gas is stored in a tritium storage tank for later use, while the purified deuterium gas is returned to the fusion fuel cycle system for reuse in fuel injection. Through this process, the deuterium-tritium fuel originally adsorbed in the dust is efficiently recovered and reused. The entire gas treatment loop is conducted in a closed pipeline, with no tritium emissions into the environment. For the extremely low concentration of residual tritium gas at the end, final purification can be achieved through catalytic oxidation-adsorption, ensuring that the small amount of exhaust gas discharged fully meets standards.

[0069] 4. Ingot Cooling and Removal: After the volatile substances in the dust have been largely released, electron beam heating is stopped, and the molten tungsten solidifies in a cooling crucible to form a dense metal ingot. Once the ingot has cooled to a lower temperature (e.g., below 100°C), the hot chamber robotic arm connected to the melting chamber is activated. The robotic arm is remotely operated to open the material handling valve of the EBR melting chamber, clamping and removing the tungsten ingot, which is then placed in a shielded container and sealed. The entire operation is performed within a thick-walled hot chamber glove box or robotic arm isolation environment to prevent direct contact with radioactive materials by personnel, after which the material is transferred to subsequent storage.

[0070] 5. Waste Containment and Storage: The final tungsten metal ingots are transferred to radioactive waste storage units for temporary storage, categorized by type. Due to the detritium removal process, the tritium activity of the ingots is significantly reduced, and the ingots are stable and not easily dispersed, thus lowering their waste classification level and treatment requirements compared to the original dust. Multiple ingots can be stacked in sealed stainless steel containers, labeled with information such as radioactivity level, and their dose is monitored periodically. When final disposal conditions are met, the ingots can be sent to deep geological disposal or other approved disposal methods as low- or intermediate-level solid waste; or, when conditions permit, they can be remelted, purified, and recycled, thereby achieving radioactive material waste reduction.

[0071] Through the above steps, the originally "large quantities, high activity, and difficult-to-manage" tungsten fine dust was successfully transformed into "small quantities, low activity, and easy-to-manage" metal ingots, and the deuterium-tritium isotope fuel contained in the dust was also efficiently recovered and utilized. This not only improves the economics of fusion reactor fuel cycling but also greatly reduces radiation safety risks during operation and maintenance.

[0072] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0073] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A metal dust recovery system, characterized in that, include: The vacuum chamber of the fusion reactor main unit, A dust collection and feeding unit, connected to the vacuum chamber of the fusion reactor main unit, is used to collect the dust generated in the vacuum chamber of the fusion reactor main unit. A high-temperature deuterium desmelting and smelting unit, connected to the dust collection and feeding unit, is used to process the dust collected by the dust collection and feeding unit. A solid ingot transfer and storage unit, which is connected to the high-temperature deuteration smelting treatment unit, is used to transfer and / or store the dust processed by the high-temperature deuteration smelting treatment unit.

2. The metal dust recovery system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal in the metal dust is an activated metal.

3. The metal dust recovery system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The activated metal is tungsten, beryllium, copper and / or copper alloys, ferritic and / or martensitic steel or tungsten-based alloys.

4. The metal dust recovery system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The activated metal is tungsten, and the temperature in the high-temperature deuteration smelting unit is set to above 3400℃.

5. The metal dust recovery system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The activated metal is beryllium, and the temperature in the high-temperature deuteration smelting unit is set to above 1300°C.

6. The metal dust recovery system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The activated metal is steel, and the temperature in the high-temperature deuteration smelting unit is set to above 1600℃.

7. The metal dust recovery system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The solid ingot transfer and storage unit is equipped with a cooling crucible, which is used to solidify and shape the dust treated by the high-temperature deuteration smelting unit to obtain metal ingots, cakes, pellets, briquettes or sintered blanks.

8. The metal dust recovery system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal dust recovery system further includes a fusion reactor exhaust treatment system, which is connected to the fusion reactor main vacuum chamber and the dust collection and feeding unit, respectively, and is used to transport the dust generated in the fusion reactor main vacuum chamber to the dust collection and feeding unit.

9. The metal dust recovery system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal dust recovery system further includes a deuterium-tritium gas recovery system, which is connected to the high-temperature dedeuteration smelting unit and the fusion reactor main vacuum chamber, respectively. The deuterium-tritium gas recovery system is used to collect the deuterium-tritium gas generated by the high-temperature dedeuteration smelting unit.

10. The metal dust recovery system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The deuterium-tritium gas is converted into deuterium-tritium fuel in the deuterium-tritium gas recovery system, and the deuterium-tritium fuel is input into the vacuum chamber of the fusion reactor main unit.

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