Recent palladium membrane reactor development at the tritium systems test assembly

Conference · Sat Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1995

OSTI ID:97343

Willms, R S; Birdsell, S A; Wilhelm, R C

The palladium membrane reactor (PMR) is proving to be a simple and effective means for recovering hydrogen isotopes from fusion fuel impurities such as methane and water. This device directly combines two techniques which have long been utilized for hydrogen processing, namely catalytic shift reactions and palladium/silver permeators. A proof-of-principle (PMR) has been constructed and tested at the Tritium Systems Test Assembly of Los Alamos National Laboratory. The first tests with this device showed that is was effective for the proposed purpose. Initial work concluded that a nickel catalyst was an appropriate choice for use in a PMR. More detailed testing of the PMR with such a catalyst was performed and reported in other works. It was shown that a nickel catalyst-packed PMR did, indeed, recover hydrogen from water and methane with efficiencies approaching 100% in a single processing pass. These experiments were conducted over an extended period of time and no failure or need for regeneration was encountered. These positive results have prompted further PMR development. Topics addressed include alternate PMR geometries and initial testing of the PMR with tritium. These are the subjects of this paper.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 97343
• Report Number(s): LA-UR--95-1472; CONF-950506--15; ON: DE95014009
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
CHEMICAL REACTORS
DESIGN
IMPURITIES
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
MEMBRANE TRANSPORT
METHANE
PALLADIUM
THERMONUCLEAR FUELS
TRITIUM RECOVERY
TRITIUM SYSTEMS TEST ASSEMBLY
WATER