In-line multiwavelength photometer for the determination of heavy metal concentrations

An in-line photometer has been developed for continuous monitoring of uranium and plutonium concentrations in high radiation environments of nuclear fuel reprocessing plants. The instrument is equipped with multiple narrow band interference filters to monitor sample transmission in the 400- to 800-nm range. The filters are mounted in a rotating filter wheel which is located in front of a stationary tungsten halide light source. The monochromatic light from the respective optical filters is transmitted through a fiber optic cable of up to 10 m in length to the in-line sample flow cell located within the reprocessing area. A similar length of cable returns the optical signal to the photometer where the light intensity is detected with a photomultiplier tube, amplified, and processed with an LSI-11 computer system. The combined use of a rotating filter wheel and fiber optic cables provides a nearly simultaneous multiwavelength, multielement analysis directly in the reprocessing streamdrology of grenum flange using a reuseable graphite mandrel