Effect of sweep gas composition on ionization chamber response in the BEATRIX-II tritium recovery experiment

Conference · Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:6816796

Slagle, O D; Hollenberg, G W ^[1]; Baker, D E ^[2]

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1. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
2. Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States)

The BEATRIX-II irradiation experiment was an in situ tritium recovery experiment to evaluate the tritium release characteristics of fusion ceramic breeder materials and to characterize their stability under fast neutron irradiation to extended burnups. This is an International Energy Agency (IEA) sponsored experiment which is being carried out in the Materials Open Test Assembly of Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF). The participants are Japan, Canada and the US The in situ tritium recovery experiment consisted of two individual in-reactor experimental assemblies (Phase I and Phase II) that were irradiated for 300 and 200 EFPD, respectively. Each experimental phase included two specimens: a thin annular specimen capable of temperature changes and a larger temperature-gradient specimen. In Phase I both specimens were Li[sub 2]O while for Phase II the temperature-change specimen consisted of Li[sub 2]O and the temperature-gradient specimen was a Li[sub 2]ZrO[sub 3] spherebed. Real-time measurements of the tritium release from the specimens during changing conditions (neutronics, temperature and sweep gas composition) were made using ion chambers. In order to correctly interpret the response of the ionization chambers it is necessary to understand the effect of changing sweep gas composition on the operation of the chambers. The purpose of this paper is to describe activities carried out to determine the effect of hydrogen additions to a helium sweep gas on the operation of these ionization chambers.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6816796
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-21458; CONF-9210255-1; ON: DE93004334
• Resource Relation: Conference: International workshop on ceramic breedeer blanket interactions, Tokyo (Japan), 26-29 Oct 1992
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
CERAMICS
TRITIUM RECOVERY
FFTF REACTOR
IRRADIATION PROCEDURES
BREEDING BLANKETS
HYDROGEN
LITHIUM OXIDES
TRITIUM
ZIRCONIUM OXIDES
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHALCOGENIDES
ELEMENTS
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LITHIUM COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
SODIUM COOLED REACTORS
TEST REACTORS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS
700450* - Fusion Technology- Blankets & Cooling Systems- (1992-)
220600 - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Research
Test & Experimental Reactors
210500 - Power Reactors
Breeding