Masami Shimizu1, Kenji Takeshita2
1Isotope Science Laboratory, 1198 Isshiki, Hayama, Kanagawa-ken (240-0111), Japan,
2Department of Environmental Chemistry and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku Yokohama (226-8502), Japan
A new tritium extraction system composed of a trickle-bed hydrogen/water isotopic exchange column using a hydrophobic Pt-catalyst combined with an SPE-water electrolyser (EXEL-process) and a thermal diffusion column cascade was proposed for the removal of tritium from heavy water irradiated in HMR (Heavy Water Moderated Power Reactor), volume of heavy water = 140 m3 and mean neutron flux = 5´1013 n/cm2s). Numerical study on the extraction of tritium from the heavy water was carried out and the dimensions of proposed system were determined under the conditions that the concentration of tritium in the heavy water was kept less than 2.5 Ci/lHW. The calculation results indicated that the proposed system was designed practically.