Development report: RADIAC systems for measuring aqueous tritium concentration by the liquid scintillation method (Engineering Materials)
This report describes a RADIAC (Radiation Detection, Indication, and Computation) unit to measure aqueous tritium activity in urine or water. The design is based on a room temperature liquid scintillation counting system, and the design criteria specify that it must measure tritium concentrations from 1 to 5 ..mu..Ci/L in water or urine samples within 20% uncertainty and concentrations above 5 ..mu..Ci/L within 10% uncertainty. The bench-scale unit constructed for this study consists of two RCA 4501 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), amplifiers (designed in-house), discriminators, coincidence gates, and a PMT balance circuit. A microprocessor was incorporated into the system to collect, process, and transmit data and to interact with the operator, minimizing the work load and thereby reducing the chance of operator-induced error. The microprocessor performs various sophisticated calculations such as quench curve correction, actual sample activity, and statistical accuracy of data. Because the microprocessor relays each instruction to the operator, the operation of the system is very simple and straightforward. As the operator complies with each instruction, the instrument automatically performs the required task and either presents the results or gives the next instruction. These drawings accompany report No. DOE/NBM--4001927.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26
- OSTI ID:
- 5592666
- Report Number(s):
- CAPE-2924; ON: DE84005019
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Development report: a RADIAC system for measuring aqueous tritium concentration by the liquid scintillation method
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Related Subjects
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
AMPLIFIERS
COINCIDENCE CIRCUITS
COMPUTERS
DESIGN
DIAGRAMS
DISCRIMINATORS
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ENGINEERING DRAWINGS
EQUIPMENT
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METERS
MICROELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
MICROPROCESSORS
PHOTOMULTIPLIERS
PHOTOTUBES
TRITIUM METERS