Advancing tritium self-sufficiency in fusion power plants: insights from the BABY experiment

In the pursuit of fusion power, achieving tritium self-sufficiency stands as a pivotal challenge. Tritium breeding within molten salts is a critical aspect of next-generation fusion reactors, yet experimental measurements of Tritium Breeding Ratio (TBR) have remained elusive. Here we present the results of the Build A Better Yield blanket experiment, which represents a pioneering effort in tritium research by utilizing high-energy (14 MeV) neutron irradiation of molten salts, a departure from conventional low-energy neutron approaches. Using a small-scale (100 ml) molten salt tritium breeding setup, we not only simulated, but also directly measured a TBR ( ). This innovative approach provides crucial experimental validation, offering insights unattainable through simulation alone. Moreover, our findings reveal a surprising outcome: tritium was predominantly collected as HT, contrary to the expected TF. This underscores the complexity of tritium behavior in molten salts, highlighting the need for further investigation. This work lays the foundation for a more sophisticated experimental setup, including increasing the volume of the breeder, enhancing neutron detection, and refining tritium collection systems. Such improvements are crucial for advancing our understanding of fusion reactor feasibility and paving the way for future experiments.在聚变能源的研发进程中，实现氚自持是一项核心挑战。熔盐体系内的氚增殖是下一代聚变反应堆的关键环节，但氚增殖比（Tritium Breeding Ratio, TBR）的实验测量始终难以实现。本研究展示了“构建更佳产额”包层实验（Build A Better Yield blanket experiment）的研究结果，该实验是氚研究领域的开创性工作：通过对熔盐实施高能（14 MeV）中子辐照，摒弃了传统的低能中子辐照路径。借助小型（100毫升）熔盐氚增殖实验装置，我们不仅完成了模拟计算，还直接测得一组氚增殖比（TBR）。这一创新性方法提供了关键的实验验证，获得了仅通过模拟无法获取的研究认知。此外，本研究结果揭示了一项出人意料的发现：氚主要以HT形式被收集，与预期的TF产物相悖。这一结果凸显了熔盐体系中氚行为的复杂性，凸显了开展进一步研究的必要性。本研究为更精密的实验装置搭建奠定了基础，具体包括扩大增殖剂体积、优化中子探测手段以及改进氚收集系统。这些改进对于深化我们对聚变反应堆可行性的认知，并为未来实验铺平道路，均具有至关重要的意义。