Tritium monitor and collection system

Patent · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:868129

Bourne, Gary L ^[1]; Meikrantz, David H ^[1]; Ely, Walter E ^[2]; Tuggle, Dale G ^[2]; Grafwallner, Ervin G ^[3]; Wickham, Keith L ^[1]; Maltrud, Herman R ^[2]; Baker, John D ^[4]

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1. Idaho Falls, ID
2. Los Alamos, NM
3. Arco, ID
4. Blackfoot, ID

This system measures tritium on-line and collects tritium from a flowing inert gas stream. It separates the tritium from other non-hydrogen isotope contaminating gases, whether radioactive or not. The collecting portion of the system is constructed of various zirconium alloys called getters. These alloys adsorb tritium in any of its forms at one temperature and at a higher temperature release it as a gas. The system consists of four on-line getters and heaters, two ion chamber detectors, two collection getters, and two guard getters. When the incoming gas stream is valved through the on-line getters, 99.9% of it is adsorbed and the remainder continues to the guard getter where traces of tritium not collected earlier are adsorbed. The inert gas stream then exits the system to the decay chamber. Once the on-line getter has collected tritium for a predetermined time, it is valved off and the next on-line getter is valved on. Simultaneously, the first getter is heated and a pure helium purge is employed to carry the tritium from the getter. The tritium loaded gas stream is then routed through an ion chamber which measures the tritium activity. The ion chamber effluent passes through a collection getter that readsorbs the tritium and is removable from the system once it is loaded and is then replaced with a clean getter. Prior to removal of the collection getter, the system switches to a parallel collection getter. The effluent from the collection getter passes through a guard getter to remove traces of tritium prior to exiting the system. The tritium loaded collection getter, once removed, is analyzed by liquid scintillation techniques. The entire sequence is under computer control except for the removal and analysis of the collection getter.

• Research Organization: EG & G IDAHO INC
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-76ID01570
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 5080693
• OSTI ID: 868129
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

tritium
monitor
collection
measures
on-line
collects
flowing
inert
gas
stream
separates
non-hydrogen
isotope
contaminating
gases
radioactive
collecting
portion
constructed
various
zirconium
alloys
called
getters
adsorb
forms
temperature
release
consists
heaters
chamber
detectors
guard
incoming
valved
99
adsorbed
remainder
continues
getter
traces
collected
earlier
exits
decay
predetermined
time
simultaneously
heated
pure
helium
purge
employed
carry
loaded
routed
activity
effluent
passes
readsorbs
removable
replaced
clean
prior
removal
switches
parallel
remove
exiting
removed
analyzed
liquid
scintillation
techniques
entire
sequence
computer
control
analysis
tritium monitor
hydrogen isotope
predetermined time
zirconium alloy
gas stream
inert gas
zirconium alloys
computer control
flowing inert
chamber detector
collecting portion
incoming gas
remove trace
determined time
/95/376/