Methods to Measure TCAP Separation Column Efficiency

In the fuel cycle system of fusion reactors, hydrogen isotope separation system is very important from the view point of fuel supply. Thermal cycling absorption process (TCAP) was invented as a new technology for separating hydrogen isotopes, which will provide a reliable guarantee for future sustainable development fusion energy technology. Separation column packed with palladium deposited on kieselguhr (Pd/k) is the core element in TCAP, therefore, the desire to advance the performance of TCAP created the need to evaluate their separation efficiency. This paper introduced two methods to test column efficiency and identified several main factors which affect the column efficiency.