Process to recover tritium from fusion fuel cycle impurities

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5577200

Penzhorn, R D; Glugla, M

In this work, a process that includes a hopcalite and a ceramic-supported nickel catalyst together with a uranium getter bed and a palladium silver membrane has been developed. Hopcalite is operated at room temperature for the specific conversion of reactive CO into chemically inert CO/sub 2/. At the same time, some oxygen is removed from the process gas. In the next step, water is decomposed on a uranium bed kept at only 250/sup 0/C with formation of molecular hydrogen and UO/sub 2/. At this stage, additional residual oxygen is also gettered. Since hopcalite will not oxidize hydrogen at room temperature, no getter consumption for reversing this reaction takes place. With the developed three-step process, tritium permeation losses are reduced substantially, because no temperature exceeds 450/sup 0/C. The total amount of solid waste produced is comparatively small. The catalyst is not expected to become appreciably radioactive in view of the fact that the solubility of hydrogen in nickel is very low. Recovered hydrogen is of high purity. At the same time, a decontamination of the offgas down to a very low tritium level is possible.

• OSTI ID: 5577200
• Report Number(s): CONF-860610-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States) Journal Volume: 52
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700205* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Fuel
Heating
& Injection Systems
700206 -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Environmental Aspects
ACTINIDES
ACTIVITY LEVELS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CATALYSTS
CHALCOGENIDES
CLEANING
DECONTAMINATION
ELEMENTS
GETTERS
METALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PURIFICATION
RECOVERY
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
TRITIUM RECOVERY
URANIUM