Mass Transfer Model Liquid Phase Catalytic Exchange Column Simulation Applicable to any Column Composition Profile

Liquid Phase Catalytic Exchange (LPCE) is a key technology used in water detritiation systems. Rigorous simulation of LPCE is complicated when a column may have both hydrogen and deuterium present in significant concentrations in different sections of the column. This paper presents a general mass transfer model for a homogenous packed bed LPCE column as a set of differential equations describing composition change, and equilibrium equations to define the mass transfer driving force within the column. The model is used to analyze Combined Electrolysis and Catalytic Exchange (CECE) sensitivity to deuterium accumulation in the electrolyser.