Study on the Li loading rod irradiation test and granular Zr performance evaluation method using the HTTR

Koga, Yuki*; Matsuura, Hideaki*; Okamoto, Ryo*; Suganuma, Takuro*; Katayama, Kazunari*; Otsuka, Teppei*; Goto, Minoru  ; Nakagawa, Shigeaki  ; Ishitsuka, Etsuo   ; Tobita, Kenji*

Production of tritium using a high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) has been studied for a prior engineering test with tritium handling and for the startup operation of a demonstration fusion reactor. For this purpose, Li-loading rods are installed at the moderator region of the HTGR. The tritium retention capability of Li-loading rod would decline due to high temperature condition from 1100K to 1200K during HTGR rated power operation. Therefore, the zirconium is employed as tritium absorber which is granular and is coated with nickel to prevent from declining the tritium absorption capability due to zirconium oxidation and so on. In this presentation, the design concept of Li-loading rods with granular zirconium coated with nickel and the method of irradiation test by using the HTTR which is a test reactor of HTGR are presented.