Theoretical Considerations for Purification System Used in Hydrogen Isotopes Separation Plants

AbstractICSI Rm. Valcea is the leading research institute involved in the Romanian heavy water detrititiation program. ICSI has built a Tritium Removal Facility which is an experimental pilot plant for deuterium and tritium separation - its main objectives being to demonstrate detritiation technology followed by implementation at the CANDU nuclear power plant in Cernavoda.Within isotope separation installations using a cryogenic distillation process, the required gas purity must be high to avoid the risk of impurity condensation. A preferred and recommended purification process is solidifying impurities over a large material area heat exchanger device. Such a system is usually a regenerative type to ensure continuous operation. Gas Purification is achieved either by means of reversible heat exchangers or thermal regenerators.Reversible exchangers and regenerators have a periodic operation, a warm period and a cold period. During the warm period, the heat exchanger or regenerator mass heat up cooling the p...