An air sampling system to estimate concentrations of argon-41 in the V.P.I. physics building during reactor operation

A gamma scintillation spectrometer was assembled. and calibrated in a low background radiation area to analyze air samples. Air samples were taken from different locations in the physics building during reactor operation to determine the concentrations of A⁴¹ released to the surroundings of the building during reactor operation. The samples were collected in a one gallon polyethylene bottle with a 3 ¾” x 3 ¾” cylindrical well sealed in the bottom. The air samples were taken to the counting area and the sampling bottle placed on the detector, a 3” x 3" cylindrical NaI(TI) crystal which fitted into the well. The pulses from the detector were fed te a multi-channel analyzer. From the number of pulses per unit time under the photo-peak, the concentration of A⁴¹ for each location was determined. Samples were analyzed for 4, 7, and 10 kw from which a linear extrapolation was made to estimate the concentrations of A⁴¹ in these locations if higher power operation is authorized.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Nuclear Science and Engineering

Department dc:contributor.department

Nuclear Science and Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Polytechnic Institute

Year dc:date.issued

1963

Author dc:creator

• Putney, Irvin Turner

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute. -- Equipment and supplies

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10919/70473

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/70473