Method and apparatus for controlling accidental releases of tritium
Abstract
An improvement is described in a tritium control system based on a catalytic oxidation reactor wherein accidental releases of tritium into room air are controlled by flooding the catalytic oxidation reactor with hydrogen when the tritium concentration in the room air exceeds a specified limit. The sudden flooding with hydrogen heats the catalyst to a high temperature within seconds, thereby greatly increasing the catalytic oxidation rate of tritium to tritiated water vapor. Thus, the catalyst is heated only when needed. In addition to the heating effect, the hydrogen flow also swamps the tritium and further reduces the tritium release. 1 fig.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- OSTI Identifier:
- 7143552
- Patent Number(s):
- 4196176
- Application Number:
- PPN: US 5-930629
- Assignee:
- Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 3 Aug 1978
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; TRITIUM; AIR POLLUTION CONTROL; OXIDATION; CATALYSTS; HEATING; HYDROGEN; INDOOR AIR POLLUTION; RADIATION PROTECTION; REACTION HEAT; SYNTHESIS; TRITIUM OXIDES; AIR POLLUTION; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CHALCOGENIDES; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; CONTROL; ELEMENTS; ENTHALPY; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; HYDROGEN ISOTOPES; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; NONMETALS; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; POLLUTION; POLLUTION CONTROL; RADIOISOTOPES; THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES; TRITIUM COMPOUNDS; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; 560180* - Radiation Protection Procedures- (1992-); 054000 - Nuclear Fuels- Health & Safety
Citation Formats
Galloway, T R. Method and apparatus for controlling accidental releases of tritium. United States: N. p., 1980.
Web.
Galloway, T R. Method and apparatus for controlling accidental releases of tritium. United States.
Galloway, T R. Tue .
"Method and apparatus for controlling accidental releases of tritium". United States.
@article{osti_7143552,
title = {Method and apparatus for controlling accidental releases of tritium},
author = {Galloway, T R},
abstractNote = {An improvement is described in a tritium control system based on a catalytic oxidation reactor wherein accidental releases of tritium into room air are controlled by flooding the catalytic oxidation reactor with hydrogen when the tritium concentration in the room air exceeds a specified limit. The sudden flooding with hydrogen heats the catalyst to a high temperature within seconds, thereby greatly increasing the catalytic oxidation rate of tritium to tritiated water vapor. Thus, the catalyst is heated only when needed. In addition to the heating effect, the hydrogen flow also swamps the tritium and further reduces the tritium release. 1 fig.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1980},
month = {4}
}
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