Tritium inventory measurement by beta scintillation detection

Abstract

A ne\+ design for a beta scintillatioii detector (BSD) has been de\ eloped for measurement of tntiuin partial pressure and total-tritium concentration in HDT-He process samples Thc tritium beta energy deposited in the CaF?IEu] scintillation costal produces light that is measured b! a photodiode and electrometer producing an output \ oltage linearll proportional to the partial pressure of tritium Mole pcrcentagc of tritium i n uiduiouii and standard samples is calculated from the ratio of BSD tritium partial pressure lo the total sample pressure measured b! a capacitance diaphragm gauge Dall! calibration to determine a nett sensiti\it> S[V/Torr-T2] using a single standard HDT-He ini\ture produces anal! ses ~i t h errors t\picall> less than 1 3 percent of \ d u e as determined b! analvsis of other standard mi\tures o\ er a oiie \ear penod This error of tritium measurement is monitored with a nieasuremeiit control program at Los Alamos to assure accuracy for all tritium inhentog samples measured b\ this method