Tritium effluent removal system
An air detritiation system has been developed and is in routine use for removing tritium and tritiated compounds from glovebox effluent streams before they are released to the atmosphere. The system is also used, in combination with temporary enclosures, to contain and decontaminate airborne releases resulting from the opening of tritium containment systems during maintenance and repair operations. This detritiation system, which services all the tritium handling areas at Mound Facility, has played an important role in reducing effluents and maintaining them at 2 percent of the level of 8 y ago. The system has a capacity of 1.7 m/sup 3//min and has operated around the clock for several years. A refrigerated in-line filtration system removes water, mercury, or pump oil and other organics from gaseous waste streams. The filtered waste stream is then heated and passed through two different types of oxidizing beds; the resulting tritiated water is collected on molecular sieve dryer beds. Liquids obtained from regenerating the dryers and from the refrigerated filtration system are collected and transferred to a waste solidification and packaging station. Component redundancy and by-pass capabilities ensure uninterrupted system operation during maintenance. When processing capacity is exceeded, an evacuated storage tank of 45 m/sup 3/ is automatically opened to the inlet side of the system. The gaseous effluent from the system is monitored for tritium content and recycled or released directly to the stack. The average release is less than 1 Ci/day. The tritium effluent can be reduced by isotopically swamping the tritium; this is accomplished by adding hydrogen prior to the oxidizer beds, or by adding water to the stream between the two final dryer beds.
- Research Organization:
- Mound Facility, Miamisburg, OH (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-04-0053
- OSTI ID:
- 6708621
- Report Number(s):
- MLM-2536(OP); CONF-780819-2; TRN: 78-017085
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 15. nuclear air cleaning conference, Boston, MA, USA, Aug 1978
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
A systematic approach to the design of a large-scale detritiation system for controlled thermonuclear fusion experiments
Monsanto/Mound Laboratory tritium waste control technology development program
Related Subjects
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
GLOVEBOXES
OFF-GAS SYSTEMS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
FILTRATION
TRITIUM
ADSORPTION
GASEOUS WASTES
MOLECULAR SIEVES
PERFORMANCE
REMOVAL
SOLIDIFICATION
TRITIUM OXIDES
ADSORBENTS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
LIGHT NUCLEI
MANAGEMENT
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PROCESSING
RADIOISOTOPES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SORPTION
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
052001* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Processing
400702 - Radiochemistry & Nuclear Chemistry- Properties of Radioactive Materials