Monitoring of tritium

Patent · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:863770

Corbett, James A ^[1]; Meacham, Sterling A ^[2]

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1. Turtle Creek, PA
2. Greensburg, PA

The fluid from a breeder nuclear reactor, which may be the sodium cooling fluid or the helium reactor-cover-gas, or the helium coolant of a gas-cooled reactor passes over the portion of the enclosure of a gaseous discharge device which is permeable to hydrogen and its isotopes. The tritium diffused into the discharge device is radioactive producing beta rays which ionize the gas (argon) in the discharge device. The tritium is monitored by measuring the ionization current produced when the sodium phase and the gas phase of the hydrogen isotopes within the enclosure are in equilibrium.

• DOE Contract Number: E(11-1)-3045
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4244783
• OSTI ID: 863770
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

monitoring
tritium
fluid
breeder
nuclear
reactor
sodium
cooling
helium
reactor-cover-gas
coolant
gas-cooled
passes
portion
enclosure
gaseous
discharge
device
permeable
hydrogen
isotopes
diffused
radioactive
producing
beta
rays
ionize
gas
argon
monitored
measuring
ionization
current
produced
phase
equilibrium
current produced
beta rays
gas-cooled reactor
hydrogen isotope
cooling fluid
discharge device
gas phase
nuclear reactor
hydrogen isotopes
beta ray
producing beta
helium coolant
breeder nuclear
cooled reactor
/376/310/313/324/976/