Tritium detection by electrochemical assisted radiometrics (TRIBECA)

Research output: Contribution to conference - Without ISBN/ISSN › Conference paper › peer-review

Published

Standard

Tritium detection by electrochemical assisted radiometrics (TRIBECA). / Berhane, G.; Boxall, C.; Cave, F. et al.
2019. 687-693 Paper presented at 14th International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference, GLOBAL 2019 and Light Water Reactor Fuel Performance Conference, TOP FUEL 2019, Seattle, Washington, United States.

Research output: Contribution to conference - Without ISBN/ISSN › Conference paper › peer-review

Harvard

Berhane, G, Boxall, C, Cave, F, Joyce, M & Pates, J 2019, 'Tritium detection by electrochemical assisted radiometrics (TRIBECA)', Paper presented at 14th International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference, GLOBAL 2019 and Light Water Reactor Fuel Performance Conference, TOP FUEL 2019, Seattle, United States, 22/09/19 - 26/09/19 pp. 687-693.

APA

Berhane, G., Boxall, C., Cave, F., Joyce, M., & Pates, J. (2019). Tritium detection by electrochemical assisted radiometrics (TRIBECA). 687-693. Paper presented at 14th International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference, GLOBAL 2019 and Light Water Reactor Fuel Performance Conference, TOP FUEL 2019, Seattle, Washington, United States.

Vancouver

Berhane G, Boxall C, Cave F, Joyce M, Pates J. Tritium detection by electrochemical assisted radiometrics (TRIBECA). 2019. Paper presented at 14th International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference, GLOBAL 2019 and Light Water Reactor Fuel Performance Conference, TOP FUEL 2019, Seattle, Washington, United States.

Author

Berhane, G. ; Boxall, C. ; Cave, F. et al. / Tritium detection by electrochemical assisted radiometrics (TRIBECA). Paper presented at 14th International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference, GLOBAL 2019 and Light Water Reactor Fuel Performance Conference, TOP FUEL 2019, Seattle, Washington, United States.7 p.

Bibtex

@conference{a15e055adbe14c31b4464ed81cff93d3,

title = "Tritium detection by electrochemical assisted radiometrics (TRIBECA)",

abstract = "An instrument for near real-time, in situ detection and measurement of tritium in the aqueous phase has been developed and tested using standards and real groundwater samples obtained from UK nuclear licensed sites. The instrument allows for selective, electrochemically driven, pre-concentration of tritium into a palladium layer that has been electrodeposited onto a solid scintillator crystal and subsequent photomultiplier tube (PMT)-based counting of its associated emitted β particles. The Pd may be electrodeposited as either non- or nano-porous layers. As such, the complete device is comprised of Pd-modified solid scintillator coupled to both an electrochemical cell with a standard, three electrode configuration and a photon counting PMT with associated counting electronics. One side of the solid scintillator is modified with a sample solution-facing Pd film whereas the other was coupled to the PMT. CASINO simulations confirm both the benefits to detection of pre-concentrating the tritium into the Pd layer at the scintillator surface and the detriment to counting efficiency arising from self-shielding by the same layer - and confirm that the latter can be mitigated against by rendering the layer nano-porous. Tritium counting experiments have been conducted with and without the application of electrolytic pre-concentration of tritium into the Pd layer, which can be either non- or nano-porous. Both with and without electrolytic pre-concentration, a higher count rate was recorded using solid scintillator crystals modified with nano-porous Pd than those with non-porous Pd. Similarly, higher count rates were observed with electrolytic pre-concentration than without for both types of layer. It was found that electrolytically pre-concentrated tritium is retained in the Pd layer both upon removal of the infusing potential and upon flushing the (electrochemical) sample cell, hence allowing interference-free tritium measurement in samples containing tritium and other radionuclides.",

keywords = "Chemical detection, Crystals, Electrodeposition, Electrodes, Fuels, Groundwater, Light water reactors, Nuclear fuel reprocessing, Palladium, Photomultipliers, Reactor shielding, Scintillation counters, Counting efficiency, In-situ detections, Interference-free, Photomultiplier tube, Pre-concentration, Scintillator crystals, Tritium detection, Tritium measurements, Tritium",

author = "G. Berhane and C. Boxall and F. Cave and M. Joyce and J. Pates",

year = "2019",

month = sep,

day = "22",

language = "English",

pages = "687--693",

note = "14th International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference, GLOBAL 2019 and Light Water Reactor Fuel Performance Conference, TOP FUEL 2019 ; Conference date: 22-09-2019 Through 26-09-2019",

url = "http://globaltopfuel.ans.org/",

}

RIS

TY - CONF

T1 - Tritium detection by electrochemical assisted radiometrics (TRIBECA)

AU - Berhane, G.

AU - Boxall, C.

AU - Cave, F.

AU - Joyce, M.

AU - Pates, J.

PY - 2019/9/22

Y1 - 2019/9/22

N2 - An instrument for near real-time, in situ detection and measurement of tritium in the aqueous phase has been developed and tested using standards and real groundwater samples obtained from UK nuclear licensed sites. The instrument allows for selective, electrochemically driven, pre-concentration of tritium into a palladium layer that has been electrodeposited onto a solid scintillator crystal and subsequent photomultiplier tube (PMT)-based counting of its associated emitted β particles. The Pd may be electrodeposited as either non- or nano-porous layers. As such, the complete device is comprised of Pd-modified solid scintillator coupled to both an electrochemical cell with a standard, three electrode configuration and a photon counting PMT with associated counting electronics. One side of the solid scintillator is modified with a sample solution-facing Pd film whereas the other was coupled to the PMT. CASINO simulations confirm both the benefits to detection of pre-concentrating the tritium into the Pd layer at the scintillator surface and the detriment to counting efficiency arising from self-shielding by the same layer - and confirm that the latter can be mitigated against by rendering the layer nano-porous. Tritium counting experiments have been conducted with and without the application of electrolytic pre-concentration of tritium into the Pd layer, which can be either non- or nano-porous. Both with and without electrolytic pre-concentration, a higher count rate was recorded using solid scintillator crystals modified with nano-porous Pd than those with non-porous Pd. Similarly, higher count rates were observed with electrolytic pre-concentration than without for both types of layer. It was found that electrolytically pre-concentrated tritium is retained in the Pd layer both upon removal of the infusing potential and upon flushing the (electrochemical) sample cell, hence allowing interference-free tritium measurement in samples containing tritium and other radionuclides.

AB - An instrument for near real-time, in situ detection and measurement of tritium in the aqueous phase has been developed and tested using standards and real groundwater samples obtained from UK nuclear licensed sites. The instrument allows for selective, electrochemically driven, pre-concentration of tritium into a palladium layer that has been electrodeposited onto a solid scintillator crystal and subsequent photomultiplier tube (PMT)-based counting of its associated emitted β particles. The Pd may be electrodeposited as either non- or nano-porous layers. As such, the complete device is comprised of Pd-modified solid scintillator coupled to both an electrochemical cell with a standard, three electrode configuration and a photon counting PMT with associated counting electronics. One side of the solid scintillator is modified with a sample solution-facing Pd film whereas the other was coupled to the PMT. CASINO simulations confirm both the benefits to detection of pre-concentrating the tritium into the Pd layer at the scintillator surface and the detriment to counting efficiency arising from self-shielding by the same layer - and confirm that the latter can be mitigated against by rendering the layer nano-porous. Tritium counting experiments have been conducted with and without the application of electrolytic pre-concentration of tritium into the Pd layer, which can be either non- or nano-porous. Both with and without electrolytic pre-concentration, a higher count rate was recorded using solid scintillator crystals modified with nano-porous Pd than those with non-porous Pd. Similarly, higher count rates were observed with electrolytic pre-concentration than without for both types of layer. It was found that electrolytically pre-concentrated tritium is retained in the Pd layer both upon removal of the infusing potential and upon flushing the (electrochemical) sample cell, hence allowing interference-free tritium measurement in samples containing tritium and other radionuclides.

KW - Chemical detection

KW - Crystals

KW - Electrodeposition

KW - Electrodes

KW - Fuels

KW - Groundwater

KW - Light water reactors

KW - Nuclear fuel reprocessing

KW - Palladium

KW - Photomultipliers

KW - Reactor shielding

KW - Scintillation counters

KW - Counting efficiency

KW - In-situ detections

KW - Interference-free

KW - Photomultiplier tube

KW - Pre-concentration

KW - Scintillator crystals

KW - Tritium detection

KW - Tritium measurements

KW - Tritium

M3 - Conference paper

SP - 687

EP - 693

T2 - 14th International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference, GLOBAL 2019 and Light Water Reactor Fuel Performance Conference, TOP FUEL 2019

Y2 - 22 September 2019 through 26 September 2019

ER -

Research

Associated organisational unit

Keywords