Micro-channel catalytic reactor integration in CAPER and research/development on highly tritiated water handling and processing

Journal Article · Sun Mar 15 04:00:00 EDT 2015 · Fusion Science and Technology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.13182/FST14-T18· OSTI ID:22429705

Demange, D.; Cristescu, I.; Fanghaenel, E.; Gramlich, N.; Le, T. L.; Michling, R.; Moosmann, H.; Simon, K. H.; Wagner, R.; Welte, S. ^[1]; Glugla, M.; Shu, W. M.; Willms, R. S. ^[2]

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1. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Technical Physics, Tritium Laboratory Karlsruhe, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany)
2. ITER Organization, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France)

The CAPER facility of the Tritium Laboratory Karlsruhe has demonstrated the technology for the tokamak exhaust processing. CAPER has been significantly upgraded to pursue research/development programs towards highly tritiated water (HTW) handling and processing. The preliminary tests using a metal oxide reactor producing HTW afterward de-tritiated with PERMCAT were successful. In a later stage, a micro-channel catalytic reactor was installed in view of long term research program on HTW. The integration of this new system in CAPER was carried out along with a careful safety analysis due to high risk associated with such experiments. First experiments using the μ-CCR were performed trouble free, and HTW up to 360 kCi/kg was produced at a rate of 0.5 g/h. Such HTW was collected into a platinum zeolite bed (2 g of HTW for 20 g of Pt-zeolite), and in-situ detritiation was performed via isotopic exchange with deuterium. These first experimental results with tritium confirmed the potential for the capture and exchange method to be used for HTW in ITER. (authors)

• OSTI ID: 22429705
• Journal Information: Fusion Science and Technology, Journal Name: Fusion Science and Technology Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 67; ISSN 1536-1055
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
DEUTERIUM
ISOTOPIC EXCHANGE
ITER TOKAMAK
PLATINUM
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SAFETY ANALYSIS
TRITIUM
TRITIUM OXIDES
ZEOLITES