Hydrogen isotope separation utilizing bulk getters
- Los Angeles, CA
- Lawrenceville, NJ
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.
- Research Organization:
- Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH03073
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4976938
- OSTI ID:
- 867636
- 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
isotope
separation
utilizing
bulk
getters
tritium
deuterium
separated
gaseous
mixture
derived
nuclear
fusion
reactor
source
providing
casing
getter
therein
absorbing
produce
initial
loading
partially
desorbing
desorbed
tritium-enriched
pumping
separate
container
remaining
deuterium-enriched
substantially
extent
removing
comprise
zirconium-aluminum
alloy
zirconium-vanadium-iron
partial
desorption
reduce
approximately
fifty
percent
basic
procedure
extended
multistage
separator
including
additional
absorbed
last-mentioned
removed
cycle
continued
repeated
method
applicable
isotopes
employed
separating
normal
bulk getter
nuclear fusion
hydrogen isotope
gaseous mixture
isotope separation
fusion reactor
aluminum alloy
hydrogen isotopes
separate container
zirconium-vanadium-iron alloy
fifty percent
isotope separator
separation utilizing
enriched gas
utilizing bulk
getter therein
remaining gas
bulk getters
iron alloy
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