Installation of liquid phase catalytic exchange columns for the Wolsong tritium removal facility

Abstract

The catalyst loading and installation of liquid phase catalytic exchange (LPCE) columns for the Wolsong tritium removal facility (WTRF) was completed on the 22nd of April 2006. Two LPCE columns are connected in series. The first column has 28 sections, a sump and a separate overhead condenser. The second column has 27 sections, a sump and a humidifier. Each section of the LPCE columns consists of three parts: mass transfer packing bed, separate catalyst bed and liquid distributor. The Sulzer CY packing for the vapor–liquid mass transfer is packed into the inner shell of each section and the wet proofed catalyst for the vapor–gas reaction is loaded into between the inner and outer shell. The liquid distributors are equipped on the Sulzer CY packing of each section. The performance test will be accomplished according to the WTRF construction and commissioning schedule. The WTRF is the first commercial facility applying LPCE process for the tritium removal. The WTRF is expected to remove 7 MCi-tritium per year at least from the Wolsong CANDU6 reactors and will be a main tritium source for the ITER.