Programme 4 - Partnerships in priority areas

Type of project: PC

Thematic area: 7. Materials, processes and inovative products;

Contracting Authority (project financing): NATIONAL CENTER FOR MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS (CNMP) (new: Executive Unit for Financing Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation (UEFISCDI))

Duration: 36 months (start with 1.10.2008);

Draft State Budget / Co: 2000000 lei/0 lei;

Consortium:
CO The National R&D Institute for Cryogenic and Isotopic Technologies ICSI Rm. Valcea

P1 The University Politehnica Bucharest – Center for Energy Research and Environmental Protection
P2 Horia Hulubei National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering

The aim of this project is to evaluate the present situation regarding the processes involved in tritiated water waste processing; aquiring knowledge in an area of interest for nuclear power production, with the aim of developing technologies and products for processing tritiated water waste, with a low tritium content, resulted from maintenance activities performed for CANDU reactors or fusion reactors; these products complement the detritiation installations, designed for processing of tritiated water with high tritium content; design and execution of a tritium concentrator from tritiated heavy water waste, licenced to work with tritium. This concentrator will have to provide a reduction of waste stockpiles and to concentrate tritium for recovery; to exploit the existing scientific potential and to aquire new information within this partnership; disseminate the results at national and international conferences and in ISI journals (Fussion Science and Technology si Fussion Engineering and Design); attract graduate students and facilitate post-graduate studies (Master, PhD)..

 

General objectives of the project:

- Promote new techniques for radioactive waste handling: implement a proper management of tritium radioactive waste providing radiological safety and environmental protection, according to international norms;

- Improve existing facilities consisting of experimental power plants necessary for providing scientific and technological support for nuclear energy on short term (CNE Cernavoda-fission) and long term (controlled fusion-EURATOM);

- Promote Romanian research through international collaboration with European research institutes ranked as top institutions in the field of nuclear fusion, within programms funded by the European Community

Implementation of these methods will allow the achievement of a level of campatibility and competitivity necessary for integrating the research units in the field of tritium management from Romania and from European research area.

The objectives will be fullfield by creating a network of research institutes and universities, which may become competent sources in the field of tritium. The network will enable the optimization of research in this field, mutual access of present and future partners at the facilities , development of joint projects.

The specific objectives of the project are:

- Literature review of the latest scientific findings regarding the processes for tritiated water waste processing;;
- Execution of experimental stands and specific data collection necessary for the design of the concentration system;
- Creation of a computer programm to simulate the tritium concentrator in operation;
- Design and execution of a tritium concentrator based on the latest techniques in the field (cathalitic isotopic exchange and electrolysis), these techniques being used by top researchers for addressing the issues in the filed of nuclear fussion;
- Determine experimenatally the performance of the concentrator (decontamination factor and concentration efficiency); qualify the components of the concentrator for tritiated water processing; validate the simulation programm and use it to optimise the concentration efficiency of tritium (performance parameter) with the concentration system;
- creating the theoretical and experimental data base regarding the identification of the optimum technologies for treating, conditioning of the waste of tritiate water resulted at the  Candu reactors identified at CNE Cernavoda, and also at the fusion reactor JET or ITER;

 

The medium and long term strategy in the nuclear field regarding the management of used nuclear fuel and of radioactive waste, including their final storage and decommissioning of nuclear and radiological plants is part of the National Strategy for Development in the Nuclear Field and its Plan of Actions.

The safe management of radioactive waste produced in Romania represents a national priority, able to contribute to the sustainable development of nuclear power production. At present most of the radioactive waste produced in Romania resulted from CNE-PROD Unit 1 which produces nuclear power. The disposal of radioactive waste with low and medium activity through final storage represents a dedicated industrial practice, both internationally and at EU level. Practices used for this type of radioactive waste are not suitable for the disposal of high-activity waste due to the high risk they pose to the human health and the environment. Even more they generate significant amounts of residual heat as a result of radioactive decay which require intermediate storage.  

Any CANDU reactor or fusion reactor generates radioactive waste when in operation.

We are mainly concentrated on tritiated water waste with low activity resulted form maintenance activities carried out on reactors in order to reduce the amount and to reprocess them using proper technologies, reducing radiological impact on population and environment caused by waste management.

The results of this 5 –phase research will consist of a technology and a tritium concentrator of tritiated water waste resulted from maintenance activities.This concentrator has a twofold purpose: to reduce existing stockspiles which represent a hazard for human health and environment and to concetrate the tritium for later extraction and its recovery from waste.

The first stage is a study regarding the evaluation of the processes of working and purification the waste of tritiate water especially from the maintenance activities, with low tritium activity and that can not be directly processed in the detritiation plants afferent to the reactors. The technology taken into consideration is based on the processes of isotopic change and molecular dissociation, with the scope of reducing the stocks and their concentration in order to extract the tritium. The finality of this stage is represented by the realization of a conceptual scheme for the system of concentration the tritium.

In the second stage there will be made two experimental stands, to make trials of stability on the components of the system of concentration and to determine some coefficients characteristic to the isotopic change. There will also be elaborated protocols specific to the work with tritium in the system of ensuring quality and there will be developed a code of calculation for stimulating the functioning of the concentration system.

The third stage aims at the realization of a theoretical and experimental data base necessary for the design stage.

The object of the fourth stage is the design and the realization of a system of concentration the tritium, and in the fifth stage there will be tested the system for concentration realized, determining its performances, the endurance of the critical components, their qualifying at the processing of the tritiate water, all these elements contributing at the validation of the realized model.

The project follows the transparency, during its duration realizing the dissemination of the obtained results. The objectives will be reached through the collaboration of some institutes with experience in the field INC-DTCI-ICIT Rm Valcea, IFIN HH Magurele, UPB, and the national Agency for Radioactive Waste (ANDRAD) Mioveni, agency that showed its interest for this theme, this also been proved in the intention letter which is presented among the accompanying documents.

The first stage is a study regarding the evaluation of the processes of working and purification the waste of tritiate water especially from the maintenance activities, with low tritium activity and that can not be directly processed in the detritiation plants afferent to the reactors. The technology taken into consideration is based on the processes of isotopic change and molecular dissociation, with the scope of reducing the stocks and their concentration in order to extract the tritium. The finality of this stage is represented by the realization of a conceptual scheme for the system of concentration the tritium. In the second stage there will be made two experimental stands, to make trials of stability on the components of the system of concentration and to determine some coefficients characteristic to the isotopic change. There will also be elaborated protocols specific to the work with tritium in the system of ensuring quality and there will be developed a code of calculation for stimulating the functioning of the concentration system. The third stage aims at the realization of a theoretical and experimental data base necessary for the design stage. The object of  the fourth stage is the design and the realization of  a system of concentration the tritium, and in the fifth stage there will be tested  the system for concentration realized, determining its performances, the endurance of the critical components, their qualifying at the processing of the tritiate water, all these elements contributing at the validation of the realized model.

The project follows the transparency, during its duration realizing the dissemination of the obtained results. The objectives will be reached through the collaboration of some institutes with experience in the field   INC-DTCI-ICIT Rm Valcea, IFIN HH Magurele, UPB, and the national Agency for
Radioactive Waste (ANDRAD) Mioveni, agency that showed its interest for this theme, this also been proved in the intention letter which is presented among the accompanying documents.

Phase 1. Evaluate the processes of tritiated water waste processing.
- Assessment of catalytic isotopic exchange processes, molecular dissociation  and of  combined methods for processing of tritiated-water waste resulted mainly from maintenance activities; develop the conceptual design (flow-sheet) for the tritium concentrator; (CO)
- Assessment of purification methods of tritiated water; develop the conceptual design for water purification module; (P1

Phase 2. Develop a computational model and testing protocols
- Develop experimental protocols respecting the quality assurance, ensuring radiological safety of the operating personnel and environmental protection; Progress report; (P2)
- Development of a simulation code of the catalytic isotopic exchange process coupled with water electrolysis; Progress report; (CO)

Phase 3. develop experimental stands; creation of a database necessary for the design of the tritium concentrator.

- Develop an experimental stand in order to determine the coefficients specific for the catalytic isotopic exchange; (CO)
- Develop experimental protocols respecting quality assurance, ensuring radiological safety of the operating personnel and environmental protection; Final  report; (P2)
- Development of a simulation code of the catalytic isotopic exchange coupled with water electrolysis; Final report; (CO)
- Partial experimental determination of the coefficients of mass transfer in the process of catalytic isotopic exchange; dissemination of results; (CO)
- Assessment of radiolytic and auto-radiolytic processes induced by tritiated water in isotopic exchange processes and electrolysis; Progress report; Dissemination of results; (P2)
- Develop solutions and requests regarding the improvement of an electrolyzer operating in tritiated environment; Progress raport; Dissemination of results; (P1)

Pase 4. Design and execution of a tritium concentrator based on catalytic isotopic exchange and water electrolysis.

- The design of the catalytic isotopic exchange module; (CO)

- Improvement of a commercial electrolyzer for tritiated water processing according to the nuclear security requirements; (CO)

- Development of the modules for catalytic isotopic exchange and for tritiated-water purification; (CO)

- Development of a trial (test) stand for testing  the stability of the components of the tritium concentrator in the presence of tritiated water; (P2)

- Develop requests and solutions regarding the improvement of an electrolyzer operating in tritiated environment; Final report; (P1)

- Design a module for tritiated water purification; dissemination of results; (P1)

- Experimental determination of the coefficients of mass transfer in the process of catalytic isotopic exchange; dissemination of results; (CO)

- Assessment of radiolytic and auto-radiolytic processes induced by tritiated water in isotopic exchange processes and electrolysis; Final report; (P2)

Pase 5. Experimental determination of tritium concdentrator performances.

- Report regarding the functionality of the tritium concentrator used for tritiated water processing; endurance testing of critical components; post-endurance examination to determine the lifetime of critical components; (CO)

- Report regarding the functionality of the tritium concentrator used for tritiated water processing; endurance testing of critical components; post-endurance examination to determine the lifetime of critical components; (P2)

- Experimental determination of triutium concentrator performances (CO)

- Experimental determination of triutium concentrator performances (P2)

-Validation of the simulation model of tritium concentrator; parametric studies regarding the optimisation of tritium concentration efficiency; dissemination of results; (CO)

- Validation of the simulation model of tritium concentrator; parametric studies regarding the optimisation of tritium concentration efficiency;

Project Manager:
Anisia Mihaela Bornea PhD

National R&D Institute for Cryogenic and Isotopic Technologies - ICSI Rm. Valcea

Uzinei 4th Street, Valcea, 240050 OP Raureni CP 7
Phone: 0250/732744/interior 181
Fax 0250/732746

e-mail : anisia@icsi.ro