Integrated Tritium Extraction Using Two-Phase Membrane Contacting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tritium extraction and recovery methods in fusion reactors, such as permeation against vacuum (PAV) and gas-liquid contactors (GLC), are inefficient, leading to high tritium inventory and equipment size, and there is a need for improved techniques to enhance recovery efficiency and reduce the tritium footprint.
Innovation Solution
An integrated tritium extraction and recovery system that combines permeation across a hydrogen permeable membrane with gas-liquid contact separation, utilizing a two-phase flow of tritium breeding composition and a second fluid with higher tritium affinity, such as inert gas or molten salt, to enhance recovery efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If permeation against vacuum (PAV) or gas-liquid contactors (GLC) are used for tritium extraction, then tritium can be recovered from the breeder blanket, but the recovery efficiency is low (5-39% for PAV, up to 80% for improved PAV designs)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines permeation against vacuum (PAV) and gas-liquid contactor (GLC) into a single integrated system. The PAV section uses a permeable membrane to allow tritium to permeate from liquid breeder to vacuum side, while the GLC section uses gas sparging to transfer tritium from liquid to gas phase. This merging of two extraction mechanisms in one system achieves synergistic improvement in tritium recovery efficiency, overcoming the limitation of using either method alone.
2Loss of time
If conventional PAV or GLC systems are used, then tritium extraction is achieved, but the equipment footprint and residence time are large
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating PAV and GLC sections into a single compact apparatus, the patent reduces the overall equipment volume compared to having separate PAV and GLC systems. The combined system achieves high recovery efficiency in a smaller footprint, directly addressing the contradiction between equipment size and extraction effectiveness.
3Productivity
If high recovery efficiency is achieved, then tritium inventory is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated system is divided into distinct functional sections: a PAV section with permeable membrane and vacuum chamber, and a GLC section with gas sparging capability. This segmentation allows each subsection to perform its specific extraction function optimally while being part of an integrated whole, managing complexity through functional modularity.
Solution Approach 2:
Despite the segmentation into functional sections, the PAV and GLC are merged into a single integrated apparatus that processes liquid breeder through both mechanisms sequentially or simultaneously. This merging achieves high tritium recovery efficiency (potentially exceeding 80%) while consolidating equipment rather than requiring separate systems, thereby managing overall system complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Achieves tritium recovery efficiencies of over 80%, reducing tritium residence time, equipment size, and inventory, while being compatible with conventional breeder systems and facilitating continuous reactor operation.
Implementation Method 1
a process of tritium permeation across a hydrogen permeable solid boundary/membrane
Implementation Method 2
a process of tritium transfer onto the second fluid (i.e., gas liquid, or liquid-liquid contacting). The two-phase flow provides a dual benefit of allowing for the deployment of the two different extraction mechanisms in the same apparatus
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for integrated tritium extraction and recovery in a fusion power system includes combining-in a tritium extraction unit-a fluid tritium breeding composition with a second fluid to generate a combined fluid undergoing two phase flow, and extracting tritium from the breeding composition in the two-phase flow by simultaneous processes of permeation across a solid membrane and tritium transfer onto the second fluid (i.e., gas-liquid or liquid-liquid contacting).