- Safe because tritium is in a solid form in the getter material
- Tritium can be stored permanently or temporarily on getter bed
- Remove impurities from tritium streams
- Extract tritium from inert gas flows
- By application of heat, some getter material will readily release tritium
- Large volumes of hydrogen can be stored on a small amount of getter material
Getter beds vary in size, shape and type. Sizes range from 1g of getter material to approximately 5kg or larger. Types of getter beds include the materials they employ such as depleted uranium, zirconium iron, nickel, Titanium or zirconium cobalt. All bed materials have different properties and may be used under different circumstances.
The two main operating types are scavenging beds and storage beds. Scavenging beds remove tritium from process gas lines; storage beds may be used to draw tritium from an evacuated system onto the beds and may have only one connection. Some getter beds may have an inlet and an outlet and one or two annulus connections to assist in circulation or purging.
Both bed types can be used to deliver tritium into a system provided heat can be applied to their shells. Heat can be applied externally by inserting the bed into an external heater assembly, this may be the case with a transfer bed used to introduce tritium into a system, or it may be applied from a built-in heater permanently attached to the bed. Heaters can be the conventional band heater type, or for longer life may be inset into grooves in the pressure vessel and may be of the tubular type.
Where high tritium levels are anticipated, and the getter bed is to be frequently heated, a doubly contained bed, comprising one vessel inside another may be provided. Doubly contained getter beds usually have internal heaters, and if so, will probably have a purged annulus. If access to the annulus for maintenance is appropriate, the beds may be flanged. Some situations call for the getterbeds not to be flanged but fully welded instead, because tritium levels inside the annulus can become high. In these cases auxiliary heaters, or standby heaters and thermocouples are frequently provided to back up in case of failure of the working heaters or thermocouples.
Tyne Engineering also fabricates a simple getter bed complete with insulation and built-in heater. These beds have an outer shield of stainless steel to contain the insulation and can be built with low heat conduction ceramic heaters to minimize heat loss. They also have two thermocouples, a nameplate with the quantity and type of getter identified, and can also be fitted with a stand-by heater.
Tyne Engineering's specialists are ready to offer a customized solution to your getter bed requirements.
