Tritium Control, Accountability and Physical Protection

DOE-HDBK-6004-99

The purge stripper maintains secondary confinement at subatmospheric pressure by exhausting a small

portion of secondary atmosphere to the environment. Secondary confinement is an enclosed, but not

sealed, system. Ventilation differential pressures will cause some building air to flow into the

secondary atmospheric, causing a gradual pressure build up. To maintain secondary confinement at

slightly below atmospheric pressure, some of the secondary atmosphere must discharge to

atmosphere through the primary and purge strippers. The purge stripper system can safely handle

all planned exhausts to the environment from tritium secondary confinement. The system includes

redundant components to assure continuous stripping capability.

Tritium Control, Accountability and Physical Protection

The purpose of requirements placed on tritium control, accountability, and physical protection at

DOE fusion facilities are:

1. Meet legal requirements for environmental releases, waste disposal, and transportation of tritium,

2. Meet the requirements of the 10 CFR 830,

3. Prevent the diversion of the material for unauthorized use,

4. Knowledge of the process efficiency, i.e. how much tritium is produced and used in processes

under investigation,

5. Meet the requirements of the DOE Orders,

6. Increase operational safety of the facilities by providing knowledge of the location and form of

tritium,

7. Prevent unwanted buildup of tritium within a facility.

Scope

This section will primarily cover methods for the control and accountability of tritium. Tritium is the

predominate nuclear material used at fusion facilities. It is of interest because of safety concerns and

possible unauthorized diversion for military applications. Tritium will be an issue for operation of

fusion facilities since it will be a radioactive material released to the environment for operating

facilities during normal operations. Although public exposures and environmental releases are

expected to be small and well below regulatory limits, it is a radioactive material and the public will

need to be assured that safety has not been compromised.

Other radioactive materials that must be controlled at fusion facilities include depleted uranium

(U238) for storage of tritium and various radioactive sources used for checks and calibration of

radiation monitoring devices. The control and accountability of these materials is relatively straight

forward and does not present significant problems for operating facilities.

Deuterium, in quantities greater than 100 grams, is also controlled at DOE facilities. The

requirements are primarily records management. There are not requirements to perform

measurement. The accountability requirements are also straight forward and do not present concerns.