Patents by Inventor Keith L. Wickham

Keith L. Wickham has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5080693
    Abstract: This system measures tritium on-line and collects tritium from a flowing inert gas stream. It separates the tritium from other non-hydrogen isotope contaminating gases, whether radioactive or not. The collecting portion of the system is constructed of various zirconium alloys called getters. These alloys adsorb tritium in any of its forms at one temperature and at a higher temperature release it as a gas. The system consists of four on-line getters and heaters, two ion chamber detectors, two collection getters, and two guard getters. When the incoming gas stream is valved through the on-line getters, 99.9% of it is adsorbed and the remainder continues to the guard getter where traces of tritium not collected earlier are adsorbed. The inert gas stream then exits the system to the decay chamber.Once the on-line getter has collected tritium for a predetermined time, it is valved off and the next on-line getter is valved on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Gary L. Bourne, David H. Meikrantz, Walter E. Ely, Dale G. Tuggle, Ervin G. Grafwallner, Keith L. Wickham, Herman R. Maltrud, John D. Baker