Complex Software Dedicated for Design and Simulation of LPCE Process for Heavy Water Detritiation

The main purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive software, SICA, designed to be used in water-hydrogen liquid phase catalytic exchange process (LPCE). The software calculates the water-gas catalytic isotopic exchange process, following the transfer of any H, D or T isotope from water to gas and vice versa. This software is useful both for design and laboratory-based research; the type of the catalytic filling (ordered or random) can be defined for any of these two cases, the isotopic calculation being specific to the package type. For the laboratory-based research, the performance of a catalytic packing can be determined defining the type and using the experimental results. Performance of the mixed catalytic packing is defined by mass transfer constants for each catalytic and hydrophilic package in that specific arrangement, and also for the isotope whose transfer is studied from one phase to another. Also, it has been established a link between these constants and commonly used parameters for the fillings performance defined by HETP (height equivalent of Theoretical Plate). To demonstrate the availability of the software, we presented a comparative analysis of water-gas catalytic isotopic exchange on a column equipped with three types of filling: successive layers, random or structured (ordered package filled with catalyst). The program can be used for the LPCE process calculation, process used at detritiation facilities for CANDU reactors or fusion reactors.