Recovery of tritium from molten lithium blanket
AssigneeSavannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC
InventorsBrenda L. Garcia-Diaz, David W. Babineau, Hector R. Colon-Mercado, Joseph A. Teprovich, Luke C. Olson, Roderick E. Fuentes
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Abstract
Electrochemical cells and methods are described that can be utilized for the recovery of tritium directly from a molten lithium metal solution without the need for a separation or concentration step prior to the electrolytic recovery process. The methods and systems utilize an ion conducting electrolyte that conducts either lithium ion or tritide ion across the electrochemical cell.
Claims18
A method for recovering tritium comprising:
- conveying a solution comprising lithium tritide in a molten lithium metal from a lithium blanket surrounding a core of a neutron generating device to an electrochemical cell, the electrochemical cell comprising a cathode and an electrolyte, the electrolyte being located so as to physically separate the cathode and the solution, the electrolyte being a lithium ion conducting electrolyte;
- thereafter, establishing a thermodynamic equilibrium voltage potential in the solution of from about 0.4V to about 1V, the thermodynamic equilibrium voltage potential dissociating the lithium tritide and forming lithium ions and tritium gas according to an ionization reaction;
- establishing a voltage potential across the electrolyte between the solution and the cathode, the lithium ions being conducted across the electrolyte to the cathode;
- reducing the lithium ions at the cathode to form lithium metal;
- and
- collecting the tritium gas.
A method for recovering tritium comprising:
- conveying a solution comprising lithium tritide in a molten lithium metal to an electrochemical cell, the electrochemical cell comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and an electrolyte, the electrolyte being located so as to physically separate the first electrode and the second electrode, the electrolyte being a tritide ion conducting electrolyte;
- establishing a voltage potential across the electrolyte between the first electrode and the second electrode, the voltage potential being sufficient to ionize the lithium tritide at the first electrode to form tritide ions and lithium according to an ionization reaction, the tritide ions thus formed being conducted across the electrolyte to the second electrode, the tritide ions being oxidized to form tritium gas at the second electrode;
- and
- collecting the tritium gas.
An electrochemical cell for recovering tritium, the electrochemical cell comprising:
- an inlet in fluid communication with a lithium blanket surrounding a core of a neutron generating device;
- a supporting container in fluid communication with the inlet, the supporting container containing a solution comprising lithium tritide in a molten lithium metal anode;
- an electrode element, at least a portion of which being submersed within the molten lithium metal anode, the electrode element comprising a lithium ion conducting solid electrolyte and a cathode, the lithium ion conducting electrolyte being disposed between the molten lithium metal anode and the cathode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.