Hydrogen-Tritium Isotope Separation by CECE Process with a Randomly Packed LPCE Column

Experimental and analytical studies on hydrogen-tritium isotope separation by a CECE process with a LPCE column have been carried out in order to apply it to the water detritiation system for fusion reactors. Kogel catalysts and Dixon gauze rings were mixed at a certain ratio and packed in the column in a random manner. Performance tests of tritium separation by the column of 1 m length and 2.5 cm I.D. were performed at 101 kPa and 343 K. The maximum value of the separation factor was 19200 when the flow rate of hydrogen gas was 5 L/min. The optimum value of catalyst packing ratio was obtained as 35 % by the analysis using the channeling stage model. The values of separation factors predicted by the model corresponded with measured ones very well.