With uranium metal having a density of 19.05, and that of UT 3 being near 11, more tritium can be stored on uranium at atmospheric pressure and room temperature than can be stored in the same volume as a liquid. In contrast, that same quantity of gas is stored as UT 3 at room temperature and atmospheric pressure in a volume of less than 20 cc. Face-seal vacuum couplings are employed where sections may be usefully taken apart. Packingless high vacuum bellows valves are used throughout. The vacuum pump incorporates an automatic shut-off valve which isolates the system when not in service.
Operation is straightforward.
After an initial heat activation under vacuum, T 2 is admitted to one of the three uranium beds where the gas is taken up with remarkable rapidity, forming UT 3 . With tritium available, the reaction flask is put in place and evacuated. He, the decay product of tritium during storage, is pumped off. By controlled heating of the storage bed and monitoring the gas pressure, a measured amount of T 2 is delivered to the reaction flask and the flask is closed off. T 2 that does not enter the reaction flask is quickly reabsorbed in the primary storage bed by permitting the bed to cool.