Fluid transfer concentration of airborne radioxenon to enhance monitoring capabilities

To facilitate airborne radioxenon monitoring, a xenon concentration method with potential advantages over current technology in simplicity, size, and cost has been developed. The concentration technique is based on the preferential absorption of heavy noble gases (krypton, xenon, and radon) by certain organic fluids. To implement this concentration technique, a radioxenon monitoring system requires three integrated sub-systems: (1) an absorption sub-system; (2) a degassing sub-system; and (3) a radiation detection sub-system. This study is focused on the characterization and optimization of the first two sub-systems. Measurements using a small prototype absorption tower have indicated a xenon removal factor of approximately 50% and the specific concentration at saturation of certain organic fluids to be about 2.5 times the specific concentration in the sampled air. Various techniques for degassing have been investigated, including heating, purging, agitation and vacuum. Ultrasonic agitation of a thin film in a strong vacuum has been shown to be an effective means of degassing the transfer fluid continuously. Various schemes for integrating all of the sub-systems are considered. Combining the small prototype absorption and degassing sub-systems should result in a transfer efficiency of about 33%. Each stage of an optimized concentration system should be able to increase the radioxenon concentration by approximately one order of magnitude.