A Systematic Approach to the Design of a Large-Scale Detritiation System for Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion Experiments

Abstract

The most common basic process of air detritiation, which employs oxidation of tritiated gases in a catalytic recombiner and subsequent collection ofHTO on molecular sieve dryers, can also be used for a large-scale detritiation system for the next-step deuterium-tritium fusion device. Performance, economy, and reliability can be improved by modifying the design of basic elements, i.e., the recombiners and molecular sieve dryers, and by rearranging them in a system permitting multiple process path choices for optimum performance depending on demand. These improvements should result in a system that is (a) free of secondary tritium release by permeation; (b) economical, with <1 kW power required in a ready-to-operate “hot standby” condition; (c) capable of reducing inlet humidity of the order of 10000 ppm (volume) to 0.01 ppm at the outlet by using two adsorber stages in series; and (d) capable of providing the best starting condition for water processing: little or no dilution by H₂O from isotopic swamping due to the use of two adsorber stages. The system detritiation factor is defined and discussed, and the overriding importance of high water retention efficiency is demonstrated.