Tritium monitor and collection system

US5080693A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• United States Department of Energy · US

Inventors

• Gary L. Bourne · Idaho Falls, US
• David H. Meikrantz · Idaho Falls, US
• Walter E. Ely · Los Alamos, US
• Dale G. Tuggle · Los Alamos, US
• Ervin G. Grafwallner · Arco, US
• Keith L. Wickham · Idaho Falls, US
• Herman R. Maltrud · Los Alamos, US
• John D. Baker · Tustin, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 26, 1991
• Grant date: Jan 14, 1992
• Expiry date: Mar 26, 2011

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G21F9/02
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

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 …