Tritium detection and measurement at Darlington's Tritium Removal Facility (TRF)

The Tritium Removal Facility (TRF) at Darlington's nuclear generating station is a system that extracts tritium continuously from heavy water and concentrates it for fixation and subsequent storage. Due to the large tritium inventory and the potential radiological hazard, monitoring for tritium is mandatory. Fixed Area Alarming Tritium Monitors (FAATM) have been installed with sampling lines drawing air from strategic locations within the TRF for the purpose of detecting and measuring tritium in its elemental or oxide form without distinction, and to alarm when preset limits are reached. The FAATM system is described.