Method and apparatus for storing hydrogen isotopes. [stored as uranium hydride in a block of copper]

Patent · Tue Aug 10 00:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:6127079

McMullen, J W; Wheeler, M G; Cullingford, H S; Sherman, R H

An improved method and apparatus for storing isotopes of hydrogen (especially tritium) are provided. The hydrogen gas is stored as hydrides of material (for example uranium) within boreholes in a block of copper. The mass of the block is critically important to the operation, as is the selection of copper, because no cooling pipes are used. Because no cooling pipes are used, there can be no failure due to cooling pipes. And because copper is used instead of stainless steel, a significantly higher temperature can be reached before the eutectic formation of uranium with copper occurs, (the eutectic of uranium with the iron in stainless steel forms at a significantly lower temperature).

• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• Assignee: ERA-08-038574; NTS-83-015750; EDB-83-120159
• Application Number: ON: DE83013177
• OSTI ID: 6127079
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
08 HYDROGEN
DEUTERIUM
STORAGE
HYDROGEN STORAGE
TRITIUM
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
STABLE ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
060400* - Fusion Fuels- Transport & Storage- (-1987)
080201 - Hydrogen- Chemisorption Storage