Some safety considerations for conceptual tokamak fusion power reactors. Final report

The major objective of this study was to identify potential safety questions for magnetically confined fusion power reactors. The results presented are largely based upon reference to one design, a conceptual TOKAMAK reactor operating on the deuterium-tritium fuel cycle. The principal hazards were identified as (1) tritium, (2) induced activity in the first wall, corrosion and structural material, and (3) the relatively large quantities of nonradioactive toxic materials present. Principal major threats to containment integrity appear to include the following: (1) gross failure of magnet sections, (2) gross rupture of the helium cryogenic system, (3) lithium-concrete chemical reactions, (4) lithium-air fires and (5) first wall failures caused by thermal and/or mechanical stress. Analysis does not indicate that a loss-of-coolant flow at power or a loss-of-coolant due to pipe rupture will, of itself, lead to releases of volatile first wall material. However, they may act as initiators for other events, such as a lithium-concrete reaction which may have such potential