Characterization of Pb-15.7Li Hydrogen Isotopes Permeation Sensors and Upgrade of Hyper-Quarch Experimental Device

The water-cooled lithium-lead (WCLL) test blanket module (TBM) of ITER and the respective breeding blanket (BB) of DEMO need to be efficiently characterized from the point of view of hydrogen isotopes inventory. An in situ detection is required to guarantee tritium self-sufficiency and to control the radiological hazards toward the external environment. In this context, a reliable hydrogen isotopes permeation sensor is essential both for tritium management at the several steps of the reactor fuel cycle and for monitoring the tritium processing systems, e.g., the tritium extraction system (TES). Hence, the hydrogen isotopes permeation sensors were characterized by protium experiments in a 1:1 scale experimental facility named TRIEX-II, located in ENEA C. R. Brasimone, Italy. The results obtained were used for preliminary validation of the novel hydrogen isotopes transport (HIT) code. Moreover, in order to test the sensor in different operative conditions, a new experimental device named Hyper-Quarch II (Hydrogen Permeation Quartz Chamber) is under development and will be installed in ENEA C. R. Brasimone, on the basis of the experience gained in the past experimental campaigns. This device, characterized by an upgraded quartz chamber and new instrumentation equipment, will be used to test and qualify an advanced hydrogen permeation sensor at a laboratory-scale in both dynamic and equilibrium modes: protium or deuterium will be used instead of tritium to simulate the operative conditions of ITER and DEMO reactors.