Comparison of nuclear irradiation parameters of fusion breeder materials in high flux fission test reactors and a fusion power demonstration reactor

Abstract Nuclear irradiation parameters relevant to displacement damage and burn-up of the breeder materials Li2O, Li4SiO4 and Li2TiO3 have been evaluated and compared for a fusion power demonstration reactor and the high flux fission test reactor (HFR), Petten, the advanced test reactor (ATR, INEL) and the Japanese material test reactor (JMTR, JAERI). Based on detailed nuclear reactor calculations with the MCNP Monte Carlo code and binary collision approximation (BCA) computer simulations of the displacement damage in the polyatomic lattices with MARLOWE, it has been investigated how well the considered HFRs can meet the requirements for a fusion power reactor relevant irradiation. It is shown that a breeder material irradiation in these fission test reactors is well suited in this regard when the neutron spectrum is well tailored and the 6Li-enrichment is properly chosen. Requirements for the relevant nuclear irradiation parameters such as the displacement damage accumulation, the lithium burn-up and the damage production function W(T) can be met when taking into account these prerequisites. Irradiation times in the order of 2–3 full power years are necessary for the HFR to achieve the peak values of the considered fusion power Demo reactor blanket with regard to the burn-up and, at the same time, the dpa accumulation.