Power-free tritium detector for DT fuels in fusion research

Abstract

A novel kind of tritium detector for in-line tritium measurements for DT fuels recycling system in fusion research has been developed, which is capable of measuring tritium concentration by detecting the signal induced by electrons emitted in tritium beta decay directly without the application of voltage. This power-free tritium detector (PTD) is a compact type with sensitive volume only 0.7 mL, and it can be installed in-line and provide the real-time tritium concentration for the tritium processing. The response time of PTD is around 4.8 s when it is used as the detector of micro Gas Chromatography (micro-GC) in isotope separation system for fusion fuel system. Furthermore, the sensitivity of PTD is estimated to be as low as 3.2 ppm in the experiments. Characterized by a compact design, fast response time and high sensitivity, the PTD is able to be directly integrated within tritium fuel systems to facilitate the achievement of process control, tritium accountancy and radiation protection in fusion research.