In-pile experiment for tritium release from Li2O under high neutron fluence

In-pile experiment for tritium release from sintered lithium oxide pellets was performed under high neutron fluence as a feasibility study of Li2O for the tritium breeding material of a fusion reactor. The experiment (VOM- 15H Program) was carried out with the research reactor JRR-2 (irradiation hole; VT-10, thermal neutron flux; 1 x 1014n/cm2. sec) from May 23 to August 5, 1983. The effective irradiation time and the total production of tritium were 990hrs and 31Ci (observed), respectively. The average concentration of tritium in He sweep gas from the in-pile capsule was about 5μCi/cm3. In order to reduce tritium release to the environment and to keep safety in tritium handling, the experimental apparatus was equipped with a detritiation system composed of a catalytic oxidizer and two molecular sieve dryers in a hood. This report describes the method of tritium monitoring and the results as well as the performance of the detritiation system. (author)