THE LICENSING PROCEDURE FOR THE KARLSRUHE -TRITIUM-LABORATORY (TLK)

When the Nuclear Fusion Project (PKF) was founded at the then Karlsruh e Nuclear Research Center in 1983, a decision was also taken to build a special tritium laboratory to expand the tritium research already co nducted at the Institute for Radiochemistry, and run experiments on a technical scale with realistic tritium quantities typical of future fu sion plants. When it became apparent that the Karlsruhe Fast Zero Powe r Assembly (Sneak) and its fuel store would not be needed any longer, the plan was adopted in 1984 to convert these facilities into the plan ned tritium laboratory. After final decommissioning of Sneak on Januar y 24, 1986, the documents for conversion of the plant were filed. In a ddition, a permit application had to be submitted under the laws perta ining to the use of water in order to allow the cooling water of the l aboratory to be discharged into the liquid effluent system of the Karl sruhe Nuclear Research Center On February 8, 1988, an application was filed with the State Ministry for the Environment in Stuttgart for a p ermit under Sec. 3 of the German Radiation Protection Ordinance to han dle tritium in the Karlsruhe Tritium Laboratory (TLK). The objectives of the research program to be conducted by TLK in a harmonized effort together with international partners were these: Removal from the trit ium of fusion products and other gases not condensable in the plasma c hamber; work on the development of process analysis methods and instru ments, and testing of methods To establish a tritium balance in the se nse of an ongoing safeguards procedure, studies of the radiochemistry of impurities in the tritium fuel cycle; aging effects produced by He- 3. In addition, operating experience is to generate valuable know-how in the safe handling of larger quantities of tritium. TLK has been des igned as a central facility of the Karlsruhe Research Center, and has a well-equipped infrastructure with conventional systems, systems carr ying tritium, and safety-related systems allowing the research and dev elopment objectives listed above to be achieved in an optimum way.