1. National Institute of Cryogenics and Isotope Technologies
EXPERIMENTAL PILOT PLANT FOR TRITIUM SEPARATION Present Status and Perspectives
National Institute of Cryogenics and Isotope Technologies
ICIT Rm. Valcea
Romania

2. NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
Nuclear Activities
ICIT has developed nuclear activities related to:
Heavy Water
Tritium
NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
ICIT RM. VALCEA

3. NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
Heavy water
Heavy water plant from ROMAG Drobeta Tr. Severin
Expertise for the plant
Heavy water standards
Upgrading plant from CNE PROD & CNE INVEST Cernavoda
Expertise for upgrading plant
Project for packing
Production of packing for upgrading tower from CNE INVEST
NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
ICIT RM. VALCEA

4. NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
Tritium
Hydrogen isotopes separation experience help ICIT to produce Romanian technology for tritium separation
Tritium removal facility - Experimental Pilot Plant for Deuterium and Tritium Separation
Tritium laboratory – tritium analysis
Environmental laboratory – tritium evaluation
NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
ICIT RM. VALCEA

5. Technological Detritiation Processes
Front End
VPCE = Vapor Phase Catalytic Exchange
LPCE = Liquid Phase Catalytic Exchange
CECE = Combined Electrolyses Catalytic Exchange
DE = Direct electrolysis
Back End
CD = Cryogenic Distillation
P = Permeation System
NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
ICIT RM. VALCEA

6. Tritium Removal Facility
WHY TRF IN ROMANIA ?
Rising the tritium level in heavy water from CERNAVODA NPP (>32 Ci/kg in 2005)
Environment and human contamination risk
New requirements in 2007 after Romania join EU
Tritium application for fusion technologies – Romania can offer tritium for fusion reactor
NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
ICIT RM. VALCEA

7. Tritium Removal Facility
Background
ICIT experience in catalyst manufacture;
ICIT experience in technological processes of catalytic exchange;
Operating and improvement of isotopic catalytic exchange plant for last 20 years;
Technological equipment and analysis systems.
NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
ICIT RM. VALCEA

8. Tritium Removal Facility
Technologies for tritium separation developed by ICIT
NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
ICIT RM. VALCEA

9. Solution ICSI CHOOSE FOR PILOT PLANT
CATALYTIC ISOTOPIC EXCHANGE TRITIATED HEAVY WATER - DEUTERIUM, FOLLOWED BY CRYOGENIC DISTILLATION
Front End
LPCE
Back End CD
NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
ICIT RM. VALCEA

10. Design
DTO
MODERATOR D2 CD
Purification
LPCE
DT or T2
Storage D2
D2O

11. NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
Technology
Catalytic isotopic exchange
Purification
Cryogenic distillation
Outside view of Pilot Plant
Inside view of Pilot Plant
NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
ICIT RM. VALCEA

12. Inside View of Pilot Plant For Deuterium and Tritium Separation
NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
ICIT RM. VALCEA

13. Design Basis maximum activity for tritium in heavy water: 30 Ci/kg
maximum tritium inventory: 300,000 Ci
annual quantity of heavy water: 2000 kg
Minimum D2O feed isotopic: 99.8 %
Water Feed Rate: 8 kg/h
Tritium inventory in CD: 200,000 Ci (60,000 Ci for commissioning)
Design service life: 30 years

14. Present Status
The plant has the license ICSI for building from CNCAN – valability December 2007
The plant has the license ICSI for commissioning from CNCAN – valability December 2008
The plant starts the preliminary tests based by a program approved by CNCAN
Project and Safety Analysis Report review as CNCAN required

15. Present Status (cont) Technological review of plant
Upgraded process safety in tests
Work on radiological safety system in conformity with license terms
Training operating personal (Cernavoda, ICIT)

16. Present Status (cont)
Catalytic isotopic exchange module in preliminary tests after equipment replacement
Cryogenic distillation – recalculation of cryogenic cycle for new conditions imposed by the license
Data acquisition and process control in tests
Pre-commissioning of safety system in conformity with license terms
Upgrade of safeguards

17. NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
CNCAN Licenses
NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
ICIT RM. VALCEA

18. Tritium Removal Facility
Implementing
the technology
WHERE?
CNE PROD Cernavoda (or any CANDU)
ITER
NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
ICIT RM. VALCEA

19. EURATOM - FUSION PROGRAM
LINKS BETWEEN WDS FOR ITER AND ICIT – WDS SYSTEM
ICIT PILOT PLANT
Catalytic isotopic exchange tritiated heavy water - deuterium, followed by cryogenic distillation P
IEC CD
Tritiated Feed Water
Tritium Depleted Water D 2
Tritium
Analysis System
MONITORING AND SAFETY SYSTEMS
Links between experimental modules for Tritium and Deuterium Separation Pilot Plant
Storage System HR
CD 1
Boiler
O2 Purifier
Electrolyser
H2O, HTO
H2, HT
LPCE
Column
Heater
Condenser
H2O O2
CD2 H2
HR – Helium refrigerator
CD1, CD2 – Cryogenic distillation
Potential combination of WDS and ISS at ITER
WDS / ITER:
ELECTROLYSES (PERMEATION)
CRYOGENIC DISTILLATION
WDS / ICIT
PURIFICATION
NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
ICIT RM. VALCEA

20. NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
Future activities
Radioprotection development – new equipments upgrade required
Finalize of implementing QA in technology in conformity with new CNCAN’s QA regulations
Minor improvement regarding the technology
Training of personal
Elaborate of Romanian standards for tritium activities
NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
ICIT RM. VALCEA

21. EURATOM - FUSION PROGRAM
Application of ICIT work:
Water Detritiation Systems at CANDU/JET/ITER
Tritium technologies
Potential beneficiaries:
Tritium Removal Facility in Romania
Detritiation technology applied at CNE PROD Cernavoda
EUROPEAN COMMUNITY Fusion Nuclear Research Programs
NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
ICIT RM. VALCEA

22. IAEA PROGRAMES ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOISOTOPE MEASUREMENTS.
QUALITY ASSURANCE FOR RADIOISOTOPE LABORATORY
Environmental monitoring program in order to establish tritium baseline levels on and off Experimental Cryogenic Plant for Tritium and Deuterium Separation;
Hydrodynamics study on the Danube – Black Sea Channel using tritiated wastewater from a nuclear power plant as a tracer;
Natural sparkling water sources analysis based on tritium measurements;
Participation to sixth IAEA intercomparison of low-level tritium measurements in water (TRIC2000).
NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
ICIT RM. VALCEA

23. NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
IAEA PROGRAMES
Participation to Sixth IAEA Intercomparison of Low-level Tritium Measurements in Water TRIC2000 (Report IAEA, p. 22)
NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
ICIT RM. VALCEA

24. IAEA PROGRAMES Radiocarbon LSC Analysis and Environmental Applications
A new line sample preparation has been put on work and tests are going to be made in order to define this new analysis technique.
NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
ICIT RM. VALCEA

25. NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
Perspectives
Commissioning and operation of TRF
Developing technical specification for Cernavoda TRF
Basic design for CTRF technology
Equipments and materials for tritium/deuterium separation/production
Developing researches regarding tritium technologies, specially for ITER
Upgrade of technology/plant for other tritium experiments
Training center for tritium activities
NATIONAL R&D INSTITUTE FOR CRYOGENICS AND ISOTOPES TECHNOLOGIES
ICIT RM. VALCEA