Technology Transfer Department

Application sectors

Problem to solve

Determining the solubility of hydrogen isotopes in materials is of great importance in applications where tritium is present from both the safety (e.g., fission and fusion reactors) and fuel cycle (e.g., fusion reactor) perspectives. Determining the solubility of hydrogen isotopes in materials is of great importance in applications where tritium is present from both a safety (e.g., fission and fusion reactors) and fuel cycle (e.g., fusion reactor) perspective. Hydrogen permeation sensors are considered one of the most viable alternatives for measuring the concentration of hydrogen isotopes in metal alloys of interest for fusion reactors.

Description

The Hydrogen Permeation Quartz Chamber II (HyPer-QuarCh II) facility has the dual objectives of measuring the Sievert constants of the solubility of hydrogen isotopes (protium and deuterium) in the eutectic LiPb alloy and testing hydrogen permeation sensors at the pressures and temperatures relevant to fusion reactors, with particular reference to the ITER and DEMO projects. The system consists of a quartz chamber inside which a crucible houses metal that is liquefied by means of an external heating system. Several penetrations allow vacuum pumping of the system, injection of test gas, insertion of permeation sensors, and measurement of pressure and temperature.

Research group involved