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DTRA’s advancements in nuclear and radiological detection
A new, more complex nuclear age has begun. Echoing the tensions of the Cold War amid rapidly evolving nuclear and radiological threats, preparedness in the modern age is a contest of scientific innovation. The Research and Development Directorate (RD) at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) is charged with winning this contest.
Jon L. Maienschein, Frank Garcia, Raul G. Garza, Ronald L. Kanna, Stephen R. Mayhugh, David T. Taylor
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 21 | Number 2 | March 1992 | Pages 383-388
Safety; Measurement and Accountability; Operation and Maintenance; Application | doi.org/10.13182/FST92-A29775
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Tritium-handling apparatus has been decontaminated as part of the downsizing of the LLNL Tritium Facility. Two stainless-steel gloveboxes that had been used to process lithium deuteridetritide (LiDT) salt were decontaminated using the Portable Cleanup System so that they could be flushed with room air through the facility ventilation system. Further surface decontamination was performed by scrubbing the interior with paper towels and ethyl alcohol or Swish™. The surface contamination, as shown by swipe surveys, was reduced from 7x106 - 2x108 Bq/m2 (4x104 - 106 disintegrations per minute per square cm, or dpm/cm2) to 3x104 - 7x104 Bq/m2 (2x102 - 4x104 dpm/cm2). Details on the decontamination operation are provided. A series of metal (palladium and vanadium) hydride storage beds have been drained of tritium and flushed with deuterium, in order to remove as much tritium as possible. The bed draining and flushing procedure is described, and a calculational method is presented which allows estimation of the tritium remaining in a bed after it has been drained and flushed. Data on specific bed draining and flushing are given.