Design and safety features of the APT target/blanket system

The accelerator production of tritium (APT) project involves the design of an accelerator and target/blanket system to produce tritium. The APT will employ a 100-mA, 1000-MeV proton linear accelerator. Neutrons are produced in tungsten and lead in a target/blanket through nuclear spallation and are moderated and absorbed in {sup 3}He to produce tritium. The target/blanket uses a replaceable module design, incorporating a window module and a centrally located tungsten neutron source module surrounded by blanket and reflector modules. All modules reside in a cavity that operates at 1-Torr pressure. The design optimizes neutron economy while maintaining adequate thermal, structural, and safety margins.