The 14th Annual International Conference on Tritium brings experts from around the world together to engage in meaningful discussions focusing on tritium science and technology. Held every three years, this event provides the opportunity to exchange scientific and engineering knowledge, research, and breakthroughs.
Kinectrics is proud to be part of the technical organizing committee for this event, which is hosting tritium partners in Ottawa from around the world.
Musharaf Rabbani is a process mechanical design expert with degrees in mechanical engineering and mechatronics engineering. He has work experience in the field of design, analysis, control, and optimization of isotopic systems. Musharaf has a multitude of experience as a senior engineer in areas of engineering design, manufacturing and testing of isotopic process systems and pressure vessels as per ASME Section VIII-Division l and has acted as a project manager and technical lead in various projects for numerous clients.
Dr. Sriram Suryanarayan, Ph.D., PMP, is a seasoned nuclear industry leader and innovator with over 28 years of professional experience. As the Director of Innovation at Kinectrics, Sriram oversees the company's innovation program, which encompasses a range of technical areas, including artificial intelligence, advanced materials and manufacturing, augmented/virtual/mixed reality, novel inspection technologies, fusion, waste management, decommissioning and medical radioisotopes. Sriram has spearheaded the development of a world-class Innovation program and novel training program for next-generation talent at Kinectrics.
Michael McDonald is a Scientist at Kinectrics with over 15 years of experience in nuclear power and CANDU technology. Over the years, he has led and contributed to a wide range of research and development projects. His recent work has focused on pioneering advancements in tritium protective equipment testing and method development, as well as leading research on environmental monitoring of radiological contaminants. Michael has also directed research efforts in the area of decommissioning applications, driving innovative solutions to ensure safe and effective management of nuclear facilities.
Dr. Thao Do has a PhD in Physical and Analytical Chemistry from Western University and is presently a Scientist in Kinectrics’ Radioactive Materials and Chemistry Services department. He oversees a diverse portfolio of projects that apply chemistry to solving nuclear station issues ranging from waste processing, radioisotope R&D, site chemistry support, and environmental remediation.
There are numerous different technologies that can be used for water detritiation. There are two main approaches which are used for water detritiation, namely volume reduction and tritium extraction. Among different techniques, Water Distillation (WD) is a proven technology for water detritiation. WD, when used as a standalone technology for detritiation, is used for volume reduction. However, when coupled with thermal diffusion columns (TDC), via a relatively small Electrolyzer, it offers a low-cost viable solution for small scale water detritiation and tritium extraction.
This discussion presents a high-level layout, mathematical model and simulation results of a water detritiation and tritium extraction plant. A base case of 1kg/hr for both light and heavy water is presented. Effects of different parameters such as feed flow rate, reflux ratio, feed tritium concentration on detritiation factor and required height of TDC column are discussed. A class 5 cost estimate to design and build such a plant is also discussed.
Speaker:
Musharaf Rabbani, Process Engineer/Scientist Technical Lead, Nuclear Equipment Solutions, Kinectrics
September 22, 2025 from 2:30PM to 3:30PM | Drawing Room
Historically, Mixed Liquid Waste (MLW) drums from Canadian nuclear facilities containing Tritium (H-3) and other radionuclides (alpha as well as beta/gamma emitting) were shipped to a licensed US facility for destruction via incineration. This option is relatively complex considering the logistics associated with cross-border shipments and the destruction costs (e.g. H-3 surcharge). Because of this, Kinectrics developed a novel and flexible process for disposal of oily as well as other (solvents, aqueous etc.) MLW within Canada. This process avoids the need for cross-border shipments and significantly reduces the complexity as well as cost for waste disposal. An overview of the various approaches and activities undertaken by Kinectrics during the period 2009-2013 for successfully processing and disposing of several MLW drums (oils, solvents, aqueous and solids) has been reported previously.
One of the key approaches for management of MLW involves its treatment using well-known unit operations such as filtration, treatment with commercial sorbents, and various proprietary treatment methods developed at Kinectrics. These approaches result in reduction of radionuclide activity levels to below the unconditional clearance criteria and allows disposal of the waste via incineration at a conventional chemical waste facility. A small amount of radioactive secondary waste (the captured radionuclides) is returned to the customer. This approach was successfully employed for processing several MLW drums.
Kinectrics subsequently completed two projects involving processing for disposal of legacy oily and solvent MLW inventory for a Canadian nuclear customer. Waste treatment processes used in the past for unconditional clearance of oily/solvent MLW were ineffective for treatment of these legacy waste drums. Some drums were particularly challenging to process since H-3 was chemically associated with the oil backbone. To address these challenges, Kinectrics developed the innovative Universal SEParation (USEP) process for disposal of problematic MLW. This paper will present an overview of the USEP process, a summary of waste characteristics, the results of drum scale (205 L) process demonstration work, and the design concept of a Mobile Processing Unit (MPU) for large scale batch (1500 L) processing of MLW employing the USEP process.
Speaker:
Dr. Sriram Suryanarayan, Director, Innovation, Kinectrics
September 23, 2025 from 02:10PM to 03:10PM | Drawing Room
The operation of heavy water-based nuclear power facilities produces significant quantities of tritium that must be managed (typically on the order of 102 grams/year for a CANDU reactor). Although most tritium is effectively managed and sequestered, its high mobility results in chronic exposure and eventual contamination of plant structures, particularly concrete.
The characterization of tritium contamination in concrete, i.e., obtaining information on both concentration and distribution, is made more difficult by the low energy, pure beta decay nature of tritium. Contemporary concrete sampling techniques—most notably the cutting of large-diameter cylindrical cores—typically requires their shipment to off-site laboratories for tritium analysis, which introduces significant processing delays in obtaining characterization information. Further, the heterogenous nature of concrete introduces challenges for subsampling and can significantly hinder accurate analysis.
Recent research programs at Kinectrics have investigated tritium contamination in concrete, focusing on innovative sampling techniques and key analytical findings. This paper provides a comprehensive review of these advancements and highlights the development of a mobile laboratory for on-site analysis of tritium and other contaminants in concrete. The mobile laboratory represents a significant step toward reducing processing delays and enhancing the efficiency of contamination assessments.
Speakers:
Thao Do, Scientist, Radioactive Materials and Chemistry Services, Kinectrics
Michael McDonald, Engineer/Scientist, Radioactive Materials and Chemistry Services, Kinectrics
September 23, 2025 from 03:20PM to 05:20PM | Drawing Room
Speaker:
Musharaf Rabbani, Process Engineer/Scientist Technical Lead, Nuclear Equipment Solutions, Kinectrics
September 22, 2025 from 2:30PM to 3:30PM | Laurier Room
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