Catalytic HT oxidation would ensure clean operation but could be critical for operation due to possible occurrence of explosive mixture. A tritium compatible micro-channel catalytic reactor (¦ÌCCR) has been designed and manufactured to produce up to 10 mL min?1 of HTW with very high specific tritium activity (stoichiometric DTO: 5.2 ¡Á 1016 Bq kg?1). Prior to its integration in CAPER for tritium operation, this reactor has been commissioned at different feed flow rates, gas composition (air or Helium), and temperature. The results demonstrate the good performances of the ¦ÌCCR in producing water.
The combination of the ¦ÌCCR with the O2 sensor represents a reliable system able to produce HTW in a safe way and without radioactive waste. Accordingly, the CAPER facility can be upgrade in order to continue the R&D activity on HTW processing with PERMCAT.