Overview of the Safety and Tritium Applied Research (STAR) Facility Phil Sharpe Fusion Safety Program Idaho National Laboratory, USA HAPL Program Meeting ORNL March 2006

Fusion Safety Program Slide 1 STAR Mission and Research Provide laboratory infrastructure to study tritium science and technology issues associated with the development of safe and environmentally friendly fusion energy Designated a National User Facility Research thrust areas –Plasma-material interactions of PFC materials with energetic tritium and deuterium ions –Fusion safety: chemical reactivity, activation product mobilization and dust/debris characterization for PFC materials; tritium behavior in fusion systems (in-vessel source term) –Molten salts and fusion liquids for tritium breeder and coolant applications –Fission reactor tritium production permeation issues; AGR fuel tritium retention and release studies –Tritium plant and fuel cycle issues for MFE and IFE

Fusion Safety Program Slide 2 15,000 Ci tritium limit Segregation of operations Gloveboxes and hoods Tritium cleanup system Once-through room ventilation 15,000 Ci tritium limit Segregation of operations/ventilation Once-through room ventilation Gloveboxes and hoods Tritium cleanup system (TCS) Tritium storage and assay system (SAS) Tritium SAS Glovebox TCS Flibe-tritium experiment Flibe-corrosion experiment D ion implantation experiment Flibe preparation purification & testing Chemical reactivity experiment Tritium Plasma Exp Flibe Salt 2Lif-BeF 2 STAR Floor-plan Layout Glovebox exhaust manifold Tritium Stack monitor

Fusion Safety Program Slide 3 Key systems in STAR Molten Salt Tritium Behavior Experiment Tritium Storage and Assay System Tritium Plasma Experiment and Enclosure Tritium Cleanup System Molten Salt Preparation, Purification, and REDOX Experiments Steam and air chemical reactivity test apparatus

Fusion Safety Program Slide 4 Star Tritium Storage and Assay System SAS glovebox Setup SAS manifold and vacuum pumps Handles reception, distribution, and accountability of tritium inventory

Fusion Safety Program Slide 5 STAR Tritium Cleanup System (TCS) Inlet Control Outlet IC Heat exchanger Catalyst beds MS water Blower Inlet sample loop Condenser Mole sieve bed Removes tritium in process gases from glovebox atmospheres and experiment systems.

Fusion Safety Program Slide 6 Highlights of Recent Accomplishments Useable tritium inventory now 1300 Ci –300 Ci in equimolar H 2 :D 2 :T 2 calibration standard –1000 Ci T 2 available for experiments –shipments from SRS limited to 1000 Ci with standard TYPE-A shipping container Shipping Vessel (1 available)

Fusion Safety Program Slide 7 Highlights of Recent Accomplishments, cont. TPE Operations Initiated –plasma characteristics testing and diagnostics installation are present focus –materials testing with D 2 to start early April (W and Mo) –T 2 components upgrade and tests to be completed in June, including plasma operation –materials testing with D 2 /T 2 to start mid-July (W and Mo, Be testing will start in September) chamber gas species during first plasma low intensity plasma (<0.05 A/cm 2 ) moderate intensity plasma (~ 0.2 A/cm 2 )

Fusion Safety Program Slide 8 STAR is Ready for Operation of Tritium Experiments Molten Salt Tritium Permeation Experiment: –100 to 300 Ci transferred as D 2 /T 2 in vessel loaded with SAS –experiment will be setup in glovebox used for previous permeation studies –diagnostics to include QMS, gas chromatograph, on-line ion chamber, and catalytic recovery –effluent will exhaust via facility stack TPE Tritium Experiments: –700 to 900 Ci transferred as T 2 in vessel loaded with SAS –further blending in TPE for desired T ion flux –TDS measurements following plasma exposure will indicate retained D and T –local U-Bed capture in TPE; effluent routed to TCS for complete cleanup Plans for the CY 2006: