Apparatus to recover tritium from tritiated molecules
- Livermore, CA
An apparatus for recovering tritium from tritiated compounds is provided, including a preheater for heating tritiated water and other co-injected tritiated compounds to temperatures of about 600.degree. C. and a reactor charged with a mixture of uranium and uranium dioxide for receiving the preheated mixture. The reactor vessel is preferably stainless steel of sufficient mass so as to function as a heat sink preventing the reactor side walls from approaching high temperatures. A disposable copper liner extends between the reaction chamber and stainless steel outer vessel to prevent alloying of the uranium with the outer vessel. The uranium dioxide functions as an insulating material and heat sink preventing the reactor side walls from attaining reaction temperatures to thereby minimize tritium permeation rates. The uranium dioxide also functions as a diluent to allow for volumetric expansion of the uranium as it is converted to uranium dioxide.
- Research Organization:
- AT&T
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4762685
- OSTI ID:
- 866673
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Apparatus to recover tritium from tritiated molecules
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Related Subjects
recover
tritium
tritiated
molecules
recovering
compounds
provided
including
preheater
heating
water
co-injected
temperatures
600
degree
reactor
charged
mixture
uranium
dioxide
receiving
preheated
vessel
preferably
stainless
steel
sufficient
mass
function
heat
sink
preventing
walls
approaching
disposable
copper
liner
extends
reaction
chamber
outer
prevent
alloying
functions
insulating
material
attaining
minimize
permeation
rates
diluent
allow
volumetric
expansion
converted
reaction temperatures
steel outer
tritiated compounds
uranium dioxide
insulating material
heat sink
reaction chamber
reactor vessel
stainless steel
reaction temperature
tritiated water
recovering tritium
sufficient mass
permeation rate
co-injected tritiated
heated mixture
tritiated molecules
heating tritiated
tritiated compound
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