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Title: Hydrogen isotope separation utilizing bulk getters

Abstract

Tritium and deuterium are separated from a gaseous mixture thereof, derived from a nuclear fusion reactor or some other source, by providing a casing with a bulk getter therein for absorbing the gaseous mixture to produce an initial loading of the getter, partially desorbing the getter to produce a desorbed mixture which is tritium-enriched, pumping the desorbed mixture into a separate container, the remaining gaseous loading in the getter being deuterium-enriched, desorbing the getter to a substantially greater extent to produce a deuterium-enriched gaseous mixture, and removing the deuterium-enriched mixture into another container. The bulk getter may comprise a zirconium-aluminum alloy, or a zirconium-vanadium-iron alloy. The partial desorption may reduce the loading by approximately fifty percent. The basic procedure may be extended to produce a multistage isotope separator, including at least one additional bulk getter into which the tritium-enriched mixture is absorbed. The second getter is then partially desorbed to produce a desorbed mixture which is further tritium-enriched. The last-mentioned mixture is then removed from the container for the second getter, which is then desorbed to a substantially greater extent to produce a desorbed mixture which is deuterium-enriched. The last-mentioned mixture is then removed so that the cycle can bemore » continued and repeated. The method of isotope separation is also applicable to other hydrogen isotopes, in that the method can be employed for separating either deuterium or tritium from normal hydrogen.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Los Angeles, CA
  2. Lawrenceville, NJ
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
867941
Patent Number(s):
5041147
Assignee:
United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01D - SEPARATION
C - CHEMISTRY C01 - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY C01B - NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS
DOE Contract Number:  
AC02-76CH03073
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
hydrogen; isotope; separation; utilizing; bulk; getters; tritium; deuterium; separated; gaseous; mixture; derived; nuclear; fusion; reactor; source; providing; casing; getter; therein; absorbing; produce; initial; loading; partially; desorbing; desorbed; tritium-enriched; pumping; separate; container; remaining; deuterium-enriched; substantially; extent; removing; comprise; zirconium-aluminum; alloy; zirconium-vanadium-iron; partial; desorption; reduce; approximately; fifty; percent; basic; procedure; extended; multistage; separator; including; additional; absorbed; last-mentioned; removed; cycle; continued; repeated; method; applicable; isotopes; employed; separating; normal; bulk getter; nuclear fusion; hydrogen isotope; gaseous mixture; isotope separation; fusion reactor; aluminum alloy; hydrogen isotopes; separate container; zirconium-vanadium-iron alloy; fifty percent; isotope separator; separation utilizing; enriched gas; utilizing bulk; getter therein; remaining gas; bulk getters; iron alloy; /96/95/

Citation Formats

Knize, Randall J, and Cecchi, Joseph L. Hydrogen isotope separation utilizing bulk getters. United States: N. p., 1991. Web.
Knize, Randall J, & Cecchi, Joseph L. Hydrogen isotope separation utilizing bulk getters. United States.
Knize, Randall J, and Cecchi, Joseph L. Tue . "Hydrogen isotope separation utilizing bulk getters". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/867941.
@article{osti_867941,
title = {Hydrogen isotope separation utilizing bulk getters},
author = {Knize, Randall J and Cecchi, Joseph L},
abstractNote = {Tritium and deuterium are separated from a gaseous mixture thereof, derived from a nuclear fusion reactor or some other source, by providing a casing with a bulk getter therein for absorbing the gaseous mixture to produce an initial loading of the getter, partially desorbing the getter to produce a desorbed mixture which is tritium-enriched, pumping the desorbed mixture into a separate container, the remaining gaseous loading in the getter being deuterium-enriched, desorbing the getter to a substantially greater extent to produce a deuterium-enriched gaseous mixture, and removing the deuterium-enriched mixture into another container. The bulk getter may comprise a zirconium-aluminum alloy, or a zirconium-vanadium-iron alloy. The partial desorption may reduce the loading by approximately fifty percent. The basic procedure may be extended to produce a multistage isotope separator, including at least one additional bulk getter into which the tritium-enriched mixture is absorbed. The second getter is then partially desorbed to produce a desorbed mixture which is further tritium-enriched. The last-mentioned mixture is then removed from the container for the second getter, which is then desorbed to a substantially greater extent to produce a desorbed mixture which is deuterium-enriched. The last-mentioned mixture is then removed so that the cycle can be continued and repeated. The method of isotope separation is also applicable to other hydrogen isotopes, in that the method can be employed for separating either deuterium or tritium from normal hydrogen.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991},
month = {Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991}
}