Lithium Experimental Application Platform (LEAP) Part 1: Secondary-Containment Architecture and Downselection Framework for Flowing Liquid Lithium Fusion Systems

Abstract

Plasma-facing components (PFCs) that incorporate flowing liquid lithium surfaces are a promising technology because they can provide a renewable interface, modify recycling, support power exhaust, and potentially connect PFCs with fuel recovery. The deployment of liquid lithium PFC technology, however, is constrained by lithium’s chemical reactivity, fire and aerosol hazards and the need for rapid experimental iteration. The Lithium Experimental Application Platform (LEAP), currently under construction at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, is being developed to test liquid lithium PFCs and their integration with fusion devices. This paper is Part 1 of a two-part study and presents a hazard-complexity metric for selecting secondary-containment architectures for flowing liquid-lithium systems. The metric is used to compare six representative containment scenarios. Based on this analysis, LEAP uses a modular, room-sized argon glovebox as an inert secondary containment boundary for a staged flowing lithium program incorporating heating, diagnostics, magnetic field exposure, and future integration with fusion devices. The analysis indicates that an inert, airtight secondary enclosure without scrubbers around an enclosed lithium loop provides a practical balance between hazard reduction and facility complexity for the present LEAP design requirements. This architecture offers a practical approach to lithium PFC development and design principles applicable to other reactive or conductive liquid metal systems. Part 2 will address the design and engineering analysis of the LEAP lithium loop.