Multiscale integral analysis of tritium leakages in fusion nuclear power plants

Tritium leakages are a major concern regarding nuclear power plants, not only in commercial fission power plants, but also in future fusion power plants. According to recent data collected by the NRC [1], 45 commercial NPPs in the US report leaks or spills involving tritium at some time during their operating history, although no threat to the public has been detected by the regulator [2]. Future fusion reactors, as for example those being studied in the ITER and NIF experiments, will breed tritium from other elements to use it as fuel. Hence, the need for preventing and containing tritium leakages, as it is done with any other contaminant, turns out to be a key issue.