Development of Tritium Technologies at KAERI

Abstract

Tritium is formed by neutrons captured from deuterium. If left to accumulate, tritium oxide will become a hazard to the operating staff and public. The primary purpose of a Tritium Removal Facility (TRF) is to reduce tritium concentration in a heavy water moderator. In Korea, operation of a TRF commenced at the Wolsong Nuclear Power Site on July 26th, 2007. Nowadays, KAERI is developing a Very High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (VHTR). We have developed a tritium behavior analysis code for the VHTR. We also developed analytical methods for the measurement of food stuffs. Korea shared in the construction of the ITER fuel cycle plant with the EU, Japan, and the US, and is responsible for the supply of an SDS (Tritium Storage and Delivery System). We present the recent progress in the development of tritium storage technology, and safety features of the related system. KAERI has been developing tritium technologies related to the Wolsong TRF, HANARO, VHTR, and nuclear fusion fuel systems. We thus present details on the recent development progress of these tritium systems.