Thermal Cycling Absorption Process for Isotope Separation in Fuel Cycles

UKFE seeks to develop and test isotope adjustment capabilities for the STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) fusion fuel cycle. The project focuses on the Thermal Cycling Absorption Process (TCAP) to adjust the isotopic composition of tritium, deuterium, and protium in continuous mixed isotopic feeds. The fuel cycle will operate as a closed loop system: injecting fuel into the plasma, capturing unspent fuel from exhaust, purifying it, separating isotopes, and re-injecting it into the plasma to enable efficient tritium recycling and support STEP deployment in the 2040s. The project requires testing and technical assessment to support the selection and design of appropriate gas separation technologies needed within the fuel cycle system. Suppliers should have expertise in isotope separation, thermal cycling processes, fuel cycle engineering, and testing capabilities for complex gas separation applications.