Progress of fusion fuel processing system development at the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute

The Tritium Process Laboratory (TPL) at the Japan Atomic Energy Research In stitute has been working on the development of fuel processing technology f or fusion reactors as a major activity. A fusion fuel processing loop was i nstalled and is being tested with tritium under reactor relevant conditions . The loop at the TPL consists of ZrCo based tritium storage beds, a plasma exhaust processing system using a palladium diffuser and an electrolytic r eactor, cryogenic distillation columns for isotope separation, and analytic al systems based on newly developed micro gas chromatographs and Raman Spec troscopy. Several extended demonstration campaigns were performed under rea listic reactor conditions to test tritiated impurity processing. A sophisti cated control technique of distillation column was performed at the same ti me, and integrated fuel circulation was successfully demonstrated. Major re cent design work on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (I TER) tritium plant at the TPL is devoted to water detritiation based on liq uid phase catalytic exchange for improved tritium removal from waste water. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.