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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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Fusion Science and Technology
August 2025
Latest News
IAEA program uses radioisotopes to protect rhinos
After two years of testing, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, have begun officially implementing the Rhisotope Project, an innovative effort to combat rhino poaching and trafficking by leveraging nuclear technology.
K. J. Heroux, G. A. Morgan
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 67 | Number 2 | March 2015 | Pages 375-378
Proceedings of TRITIUM 2013 | doi.org/10.13182/FST14-T32
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Thermal Enhancement Cartridge Heater Modified (TECH Mod) tritium hydride bed is an interim replacement for the 1st generation (Gen 1) process hydride beds currently in service in the Savannah River Site (SRS) Tritium Facilities. Three new features are implemented in the TECH Mod hydride bed prototype: internal electric cartridge heaters, porous divider plates, and copper foam discs. These modifications will enhance bed performance and reduce costs by improving bed activation and installation processes, in-bed accountability measurements, end-of-life bed removal, and He-3 recovery. A full-scale hydride bed test station was constructed at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) in order to evaluate the performance of the prototype TECH Mod hyd ride bed. Controlled hydrogen (H2) absorption/desorption experiments were conducted to validate that the conceptual design changes have no adverse effects on the gas transfer kinetics or H2 storage/release properties compared to those of the Gen 1 bed. Inert gas expansions before, during, and after H2 flow tests were used to monitor changes in gas transfer rates with repeated hydriding/dehydriding of the hydride material. The gas flow rates significantly decreased after initial hydriding of the material; however, minimal changes were observed after repeated cycling. The data presented herein confirm that the TECH Mod hydride bed would be a suitable replacement for the Gen 1 bed with the added enhancements expected from the advanced design features.
