In January, we announced that Kyoto Fusioneering had been awarded three projects under the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA)’s LIBRTI (Lithium Breeding Tritium Innovation) Small Scale Experiments for Tritium Breeding (SSETB). This initiative aims to drive innovation in tritium breeding technologies, a critical aspect of realising practical fusion energy.
As part of this programme, we are working across several projects to lead the advancement of tritium permeation technologies (a key component for ensuring a sustainable and efficient fusion fuel cycle); supporting the breeding of tritium in a novel material composition under a neutron spectrum; and helping build software for analysis.
In this blog, we interviewed Luigi Candido, Head of the Blanket Team at Kyoto Fusioneering, about our progress on the development of tritium breeding technology.
What has Kyoto Fusioneering (KF) done before being awarded the LIBRTI Programme?
Before being awarded projects to support LIBRTI Programme, KF has been actively collaborating with UKAEA on the SCYLLA© blanket concept study. The various R&D and design activities have focused on developing a self-cooled lithium-lead blanket specifically for spherical tokamaks.
(To learn more about SCYLLA©, check out our dedicated blog post on the topic.)
In addition to our work with UKAEA, we have made significant contributions to various related Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE) programmes in the US. For instance, in partnering with Idaho National Laboratory (INL), we have been successful in securing the largest funding allocation achievable on the programme to develop enriched lithium-lead samples ready for irradiation in the NRAD (Neutron Radiography) nuclear research reactor.
Additionally, collaborating with Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), we are integrating magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulations into the design of the MHD test section of UNITY-1, the testing facility that will demonstrate the conversion of the immense energy generated by imitated fusion reactions into electricity in our mock-up facility in Kyoto, Japan.
Could you tell us about the three projects awarded under the LIBRTI Programme?
KF’s leadership and pre-existing work in this space played a role in securing three LIBRTI project awards: the TRI-PRISM (Tritium Permeation Real-Time In-Line Sensor for Monitoring) Project, the TRI-BREED Project, , and a final, unnamed project, for which KF is providing Hydrogen Isotope Data from UNITY-1.
Firstly, the TRI-PRISM project, led by KF, brings together the University of Birmingham, ENEA C. R. Brasimone, and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) to develop and validate an advanced sensor for detecting hydrogen isotopes in lithium-lead (LiPb). KF will drive the design and integration of the sensor, while the University of Birmingham will provide expertise in welding techniques critical to its fabrication.
The sensor’s performance will be assessed through a staged experimental campaign: initial static LiPb testing at ENEA’s HyPer-QuarCh II facility in Italy, followed by dynamic flow testing in Japan on the KF’s UNITY-1 loop.
These tests aim to achieve a comprehensive characterisation of the sensor performances. Additionally, CNL will contribute to studies on its applicability for tritium detection, ensuring its relevance for future fusion device systems. A truly international project, TRI-PRISM will see the design and build of a sensor in the UK, subsequent international testing with key partners, before being brought back to the UK for integration into the LIBRTI programme.
For the TRI-BREED Project, we are collaborating with Lancaster University and the University of Oxford, to develop a small-scale mock-up using a novel solid breeder to be subjected to neutron irradiation. KF will bring breeder design, neutronics and materials and manufacturing expertise alongside the university partners—supporting Lancaster as the lead.
Lastly, we will also provide technical support in the form of hydrogen isotopes data in the frame of a digital engineering package of work, to be utilised by an unnamed US partner as the project lead.
What are we working on for these projects?
Our work on TRI-PRISM and the other two projects is part of the broader LIBRTI framework, a multinational effort to advance lithium-based breeder technology for fusion energy. These projects focus on developing advanced diagnostics, materials, and system integration strategies to enhance blanket breeding performance. Our contributions span from sensor development to experimental validation in relevant lithium-lead environments, ensuring practical and scalable solutions for future fusion power plants.
Beyond LIBRTI Programme, we are also engaged in a UK SBRI (Small Business Research Initiative) project, where we are developing new sensors for pure lithium and FLiBe. This initiative is aimed at exploring the applicability of permeation sensor technology to other liquid breeder materials more broadly, aiming to create robust monitoring solutions tailored to the next generation of fusion technologies.
What makes the LIBRTI Programme significant for KF?
The LIBRTI Programme is significant for KF because it will provide world-class capability for an array of blanket-related technologies to be tested with fusion-energy neutrons. In the particular case of our current feeder experiments to LIBRTI Programme, it is enabling KF to drive the development of reliable in-line tritium monitoring systems that support fusion device safety and economic efficiency.
We are thus focused on creating sensor technology that can operate in real tritium conditions and under neutron exposure, ensuring accurate measurement of tritium levels for worker safety, inventory management, and device self-sufficiency.
Furthermore, LIBRTI Programme paves the way for broader LiPb-based applications. The advancements in instrumentation and control, along with component development emerging from LIBRTI Programme, extend beyond this project to support a range of LiPb-based blanket concepts, including our SCYLLA© self-cooled design.
With a team of dedicated researchers and engineers working towards the early realisation of fusion energy, we are innovating; by resolving R&D challenges in the breeding blanket space, we are actively developing technologies into solutions for the market—technologies needed for LIBRTI Programme today, and for fusion power plants tomorrow.
We will continue sharing updates on our achievements and progress related to LIBRTI Programme through our contents. Stay tuned for more developments!
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