Development of an enhanced online tritium monitoring system using plastic scintillation fiber array

摘要: Tritium, a radioactive nuclide discharged by nuclear power plants, poses challenges for removal. Continuous online monitoring of tritium in water is crucial for real-time radiation data, given its predominant existence in the environment as water. This paper presents the design, simulation, and development of a tritium monitoring device utilizing a plastic scintillation fiber (PSF) array. Experimental validation confirmed the device’s detection efficiency and minimum detectable activity. The recorded detection efficiency of the device is 1.6 × 10−3 , which exceeds the theoretically simulated value of 4 × 10−4 by four times. Without shielding, the device can achieve a minimum detectable activity of 3165 Bq L−1 over a 1600-second measurement duration. According to simulation and experimental results, enhancing detection efficiency is possible by increasing the number and length of PSFs and implementing rigorous shielding measures. Additionally, reducing the diameter of PSFs can also improve detection efficiency. The minimum detectable activity of the device can be further reduced using the aforementioned methods.