PROTOTYPE APPLICATIONS LOOP (PAL)nAND SODIUM CHARACTERIZATIONnSYSTEM (SCS) INVESTIGATIONS

摘要

The argon cover gas of the Prototype Applications Loop (PAL) was sampled and analyzed by a process (on-line) gas chromatograph after it had passed through a HEDL-designed vapor trap. Evaluation of vapor trap and chroma¬tograph performance for the first year of operation was satisfactory. The vapor trap and aerosol filter pre¬vented sodium transport into the gas circulation pump and chromatograph. The chromatograph measured the major gaseous impurities of hydrogen, nitrogen, and methane. Hydrogen concentration ranged from 0.5 to 380 ppm (vol) and nitro¬gen concentration from 5 to 2000 ppm. Concentration changes could be related to operations on the sodium system such as changing temperature, attaching samplers, etc., as well as cold trap operation. Methane was observed only a few times and these were after starting sodium flow through freshly attached sampling equipment. Unequivocal evi¬dence of oxygen in the cover gas was observed only once in approximately a year of operation.