Hydrogen isotope separation utilizing bulk getters
This patent describes hydrogen isotope separation utilizing bulk getters. 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.
- Assignee:
- Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC (USA)
- Patent Number(s):
- A; US 4976938
- Application Number:
- PPN: US 7-379841
- OSTI ID:
- 5669463
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Hydrogen isotope separation utilizing bulk getters
Hydrogen isotope separation utilizing bulk getters
Related Subjects
070101* -- Heavy Water Production
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DESIGN
DEUTERIUM
ELEMENTS
GETTERING
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
ISOTOPE SEPARATION PLANTS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NONMETALS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
STABLE ISOTOPES
TRITIUM
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES