Tritium Extraction from Lithium–Lead Eutectic Alloy: Experimental Characterization of a Permeator against Vacuum Mock-Up at 450 °C

Tritium extraction is one of the key open issues toward development WCLL BB (Water-Cooled Lithium–Lead Breeding Blanket) EU DEMO reactors, and different technologies have been proposed to address it. Among them, Permeator Against Vacuum (PAV) has promising features, but it never tested in a relevant environment. This work presents first experimental results ever obtained for PAV mock-up. The experiments were carried out at ENEA Brasimone R.C. with TRIEX-II facility on mock-up characterized by shell tube configuration using niobium as membrane material. campaign was LiPb flowing about 450 °C 1.2 kg/s, while hydrogen partial pressure varied range 170–360 Pa. characterization performance conducted measuring drop across permeated flux through leak detector calibrated an external calibration cylinder. Moreover, confirmed pressurization test performed increase vacuum side PAV. constitute verification possibility operate quantify its capabilities.