title: SPALAX new generation: New process design for a more efficient xenon production system for the CTBT noble gas network.
abstract: The SPALAX (Système de Prélèvement Automatique en Ligne avec l'Analyse du Xénon) is one of the systems used in the International Monitoring System of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) to detect radioactive xenon releases following a nuclear explosion. Approximately 10 years after the industrialization of the first system, the CEA has developed the SPALAX New Generation, SPALAX-NG, with the aim of increasing the global sensitivity and reducing the overall size of the system. A major breakthrough has been obtained by improving the sampling stage and the purification/concentration stage. The sampling stage evolution consists of increasing the sampling capacity and improving the gas treatment efficiency across new permeation membranes, leading to an increase in the xenon production capacity by a factor of 2-3. The purification/concentration stage evolution consists of using a new adsorbent Ag@ZSM-5 (or Ag-PZ2-25) with a much larger xenon retention capacity than activated charcoal, enabling a significant reduction in the overall size of this stage. The energy consumption of the system is similar to that of the current SPALAX system. The SPALAX-NG process is able to produce samples of almost 7 cm(3) of xenon every 12 h, making it the most productive xenon process among the IMS systems.
authors.affiliation: CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon Cedex, France. Electronic address: sylvain.topin@cea.fr.
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Topin
authors.affiliation: CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Greau
authors.affiliation: CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Ludovic
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Deliere
authors.affiliation: CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hovesepian
authors.affiliation: CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taffary
authors.affiliation: CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Gilbert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Le Petit
authors.affiliation: CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Guilhem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Douysset
authors.affiliation: CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moulin
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D014980:Xenon Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D014980:Xenon Radioisotopes
keywords: CTBT; Noble gas; Nuclear test; SPALAX; Silver zeolite; Xenon