A tritium‐compatible high‐vacuum pumping system

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Abstract
Large magnetic‐fusion power reactors will require vacuum pumps with greater speeds and capacities for hydrogen and helium isotopes than any now available. Present fusion engineering efforts concentrate on DT‐burning tokamaks, so pumps for these systems must perform reliably during prolonged exposure to radioactive tritium gas. A mechanical pumping train that exposes only tritium‐compatible metals to the vacuum medium has been assembled. The system comprises a reciprocating metal‐bellows compressor, a bellows‐sealed, spiral‐cavity, positive‐displacement blower, and a canned‐motor, magnetic‐bearing turbopump. These pumps feature hermetic drives, and their pumping chambers contain no liquid metals, plastics, elastomers, or lubricants. The pumping system achieves vacuums as low as 1 mPa without cryogenics, and its pumping speed increases from 5 L/s at atmospheric pressure to 500 L/s below 100 mPa. Systems with ultimate pumping speeds of 5000 L/s can be assembled using larger pumps of the same design as those tested.

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