US4683749A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process and system for detecting and measuring a tritium gas leak
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1986-05-22
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Granted: 1987-08-04
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Expires: 2006-05-22
Abstract
Abstract The present invention is a method and system for detecting and measuring a tritium gas leak. The method comprises collecting and concentrating any tritium gas escaping from a container in a reservoir over a predetermined time period. The concentrated gas sample is then directed to at least one of two detectors, a highly sensitive ion chamber or a highly sensitive proportional counter. The activity of the gas sample, as indicated by one or both of the detectors, is related to the concentration time interval to provide a measurement of sample activity accumulated per unit time. Calibration with a known tritium leak allows the sample activity per unit time to be read as a leak rate.
Inventors
- 👤 Norman C. Thurlow
- 👤 Robert M. Hruda
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 05:16
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01M; G01M3/00; G01M3/02; G01M3/04; G01M3/20; G01M3/22; G01M3/226; G01M3/229
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
48 words
A method for detecting and measuring a tritium gas leak from a sealed container comprising, disposing a sealed container of tritium gas in a chamber, collecting and concentrating a sample of gas from said chamber in a reservoir and passing said sample into at least one radiation detector.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
48 words
A method for detecting and measuring a tritium gas leak from a sealed container comprising, disposing a sealed container of tritium gas in a chamber, collecting and concentrating a sample of gas from said chamber in a reservoir and passing said sample into at least one radiation detector.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 in which the reservoir contains a tritium gettering material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 2 in which the reservoir is heated to release tritium gas the gettering material prior to passing the tritium gas into said at least one radiation detector.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 3 in which the radiation detector is selected from the group consisting of ionization chambers and proportional counters.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 3 in which there are two detectors, one of which is an ionization chamber and the other of which is a proportional counter.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
66 words
A system for detecting and measuring a tritium gas leak comprising: (1) a chamber for receiving and containing a container of tritium gas; (2) a reservoir for receiving a sample of gas from said chamber; (3) means for concentrating and heating said sample in said reservoir; (4) means for forming a vacuum in said system; and (5) means for determining if said sample contains tritium gas.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
66 words
A system for detecting and measuring a tritium gas leak comprising: (1) a chamber for receiving and containing a container of tritium gas; (2) a reservoir for receiving a sample of gas from said chamber; (3) means for concentrating and heating said sample in said reservoir; (4) means for forming a vacuum in said system; and (5) means for determining if said sample contains tritium gas.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 6 in which the means for concentrating said sample in said reservoir is a gettering material which sorbs the tritium.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 7 in which the means for determining if said sample contains tritium gas is an ionization chamber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 7 in which the means for determining of said sample contains tritium gas is a proportional counter.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 7 in which the means for determining if said sample contains tritium gas consists of an ionization chamber and a proportional counter.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1990-08-03 | 1991-02-02 | 1991-08-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-08-03 | 1995-02-02 | 1995-08-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-08-03 | 1999-02-02 | 1999-08-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |