EP0362947B1 - Mit einer multizellulären Ionenquelle mit magnetischem Einschluss versehene abgeschmolzene Neutronenröhre - Google Patents

Mit einer multizellulären Ionenquelle mit magnetischem Einschluss versehene abgeschmolzene Neutronenröhre Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0362947B1
EP0362947B1 EP89202465A EP89202465A EP0362947B1 EP 0362947 B1 EP0362947 B1 EP 0362947B1 EP 89202465 A EP89202465 A EP 89202465A EP 89202465 A EP89202465 A EP 89202465A EP 0362947 B1 EP0362947 B1 EP 0362947B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
holes
ion source
neutron tube
anode
ion
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP89202465A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0362947A1 (de
Inventor
Henri Société Civile S.P.I.D. Bernardet
Xavier Société Civile S.P.I.D. Godechot
Claude Société Civile S.P.I.D. Lejeune
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
SODERN SA
Koninklijke Philips NV
Original Assignee
SODERN SA
Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV
Philips Electronics NV
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05H—PLASMA TECHNIQUE; PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OF NEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMIC BEAMS
    • H05H3/00—Production or acceleration of neutral particle beams, e.g. molecular or atomic beams
    • H05H3/06—Generating neutron beams
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J27/00—Ion beam tubes
    • H01J27/02—Ion sources; Ion guns
    • H01J27/04—Ion sources; Ion guns using reflex discharge, e.g. Penning ion sources

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a sealed neutron tube containing a low-pressure deuterium-tritium gas mixture from which an ion source with two electrodes, an anode and a cathode, forms an ionized gas channeled by a confining magnetic field created by magnets or by any other means of creating said field, said source emitting from emission channels made in said cathode ion beams which pass through an extraction-acceleration electrode and are projected at high energy onto a target electrode for producing therein a fusion reaction resulting in the emission of neutrons, in which said ion source is of the multicellular type consisting of a structure of elementary cells of the Penning type comprising for all of said cells a cathode cavity inside which is disposed a multi-hole anode, the axes of said holes being aligned respectively on the corresponding axes desd its broadcast channels.
  • Such a tube is known from NL-A- 7707357.
  • Neutron tubes of the same kind are used in techniques for examining matter by fast, thermal, epithermal or cold neutrons: neutronography, analysis by activation, analysis by spectrometry of inelastic diffusions or radiative captures, neutron scattering, etc. .
  • the fusion reaction d (3 H , 4 He ) n delivering 14 MeV neutrons is usually the most used because of its large cross section for relatively low ion energies.
  • the number of neutrons obtained per unit of charge passing through the beam is always increasing as the energy of the ions directed towards a thick target is itself increasing and this largely at the beyond the energies of the ions obtained in the sealed tubes currently available and supplied by a THT not exceeding 250 kV.
  • the erosion of the target by ion bombardment is one of the most determining.
  • Erosion is a function of the chemical nature and structure of the target on the one hand, the energy of the incident ions and their density distribution profile on the impact surface on the other.
  • the target consists of a hydrurable material (Titanium, Scandium, Zirconium, Erbium etc ...) capable of fixing and releasing large quantities of hydrogen without significant disturbance of its mechanical strength; the total quantity set is a function of the target temperature and the hydrogen pressure in the tube.
  • the target materials used are deposited in the form of thin layers, the thickness of which is limited by problems of adhesion of the layer to its support.
  • One way to delay erosion of the target is, for example, to form the absorbent active layer of a stack of identical layers isolated from each other by a diffusion barrier. The thickness of each of the active layers is of the order of the depth of penetration of the deuterium ions coming to strike the target.
  • Another way to protect the target and therefore increase the life of the tube is to act on the ion beam so as to improve its density distribution profile on the impact surface.
  • this improvement will result from a distribution as uniform as possible of the current density over the entire surface offered by the target to the bombardment of the ions.
  • the object of the invention is to provide a source device enabling these disadvantages to be overcome.
  • the invention is remarkable in that, the number of said holes is optimized so as to increase the extracted ion beam for an equivalent bulk of said ion source, and the shape and / or dimensions and / or positioning of said holes are adapted to the topology of said magnetic field , so that the radius of said anode holes of said ion source is gradually increased from the center to the periphery of the structure.
  • a multicellular type neutron tube comprising, for all of the cells a cathode cavity inside which is arranged a multi-hole anode, the axes of the holes respectively on the corresponding axes of the emission channels in the cathode.
  • an additional gain in the discharge current may result from the increase in length of the structure of the multicellular ion source. This gain can go up to a factor of 2.
  • the increase in current resulting from the new source configuration can then be used to reduce the operating pressure of the neutron tube and thus limit the harmful impact of ion-gas reactions.
  • the feasibility of the multicell structure assumes that a magnetic field is suitable for the proper functioning of a Penning structure, in particular at the level of the relationship between the magnetic induction and the hole radius of the multi-hole anode.
  • the variation of the magnetic field in level and according to the shape of the lines of force can be corrected by an increase in said radius, which amounts to making structures with a variable anode radius.
  • better adaptation of the shape of the anode to the main lines magnetic can be obtained by replacing the cylindrical structures with circular or square section by frustoconical structures so as to make the generators of truncated cones coincide with the lines of force which rest on the contours of the holes.
  • the ions of the various structures are emitted through channels made in the cathode acting as an emission electrode. These channels, the number of which is identical to that of the elementary cells, are arranged respectively along the same axes of symmetry. In the case of circular section structures, the diameter is a function of the applied electric field and the thickness of the electrode.
  • a variant of this system consists in introducing an expansion chamber below the cathodes in order to standardize the densities in the vicinity of the emission which then takes place through orifices the arrangement of which can be almost independent of that of the elementary cells.
  • the extraction-acceleration electrode can be constituted by an electrode provided with n orifices having axes corresponding respectively to those of the n elementary cells, or with j orifices smaller than the number of n elementary cells and therefore diameters greater than those of the emission channels and whose arrangement avoids any interception of the beams.
  • This extraction-acceleration electrode can be increased in order to improve the mechanical strength and to allow cooling by forced circulation of fluid.
  • Figure 1 shows the block diagram of a sealed neutron tube according to the state of the prior art.
  • Figure 2 shows the effects of target erosion at depth and the radial profile of ion bombardment density.
  • FIG. 3 represents the diagram of a neutron tube of a known type, compatible with the invention, provided with a multicellular ion source of the Penning type and with an extraction-acceleration electrode comprising as many orifices than cells.
  • FIG. 4 represents a neutron tube of a known type compatible with the invention, provided with a multicellular ion source and with an extraction-acceleration electrode comprising a number of orifices different from the number of cells.
  • FIG. 5 represents a first variant of the neutron tube of the invention, provided with an ion source whose anode holes are of variable radii.
  • FIG. 6 represents a second variant of the neutron tube of the invention provided with a source whose anode holes are of frustoconical shape.
  • FIG. 7 represents a third variant of the neutron tube of the invention according to the first variant or according to the first and second variants, provided with a source with expansion chamber.
  • FIG. 1 shows the main basic elements of a sealed neutron tube 11 containing a gaseous mixture under low pressure to be ionized such as deuterium-tritium and which comprises an ion source 1 and an extraction-acceleration electrode 2 between which there is a very high potential difference allowing the extraction and acceleration of the ion beam 3 and its projection on the target 4 where the fusion reaction takes place resulting in an emission of neutrons at 14 MeV for example.
  • a sealed neutron tube 11 containing a gaseous mixture under low pressure to be ionized such as deuterium-tritium and which comprises an ion source 1 and an extraction-acceleration electrode 2 between which there is a very high potential difference allowing the extraction and acceleration of the ion beam 3 and its projection on the target 4 where the fusion reaction takes place resulting in an emission of neutrons at 14 MeV for example.
  • the ion source 1 secured to an insulator 5 for the passage of the THT supply connector is a Penning type source for example, consisting of a cylindrical anode 6, a cathode cavity 7 to which is incorporated a magnet 8 with an axial magnetic field which confines the ionized gas 9 around the axis of the anode cylinder and whose lines of force 10 show a certain divergence.
  • An ion emission channel 12 is formed in said cathode cavity opposite the anode
  • FIG. 2a shows the profile of the density J of bombardment of the ions in any radial direction Or, from the point of impact O of the central axis of the beam on the target surface.
  • the shape of this profile highlights the inhomogeneous nature of this beam whose very high density in the central part decreases rapidly when one moves away from it.
  • erosion takes place as a function of the bombardment density and the entire layer of hydrurable material of thickness e deposited on a substrate S is saturated with a deuterium-tritium mixture.
  • the depth of penetration of the deuterium-tritium energetic ions represented in dotted lines takes place over a depth which is a function of this energy.
  • the erosion of the layer is such that the penetration depth l2 is greater than the thickness e in the most bombarded part; a part of the incident ions is implanted in the substrate and very quickly the atoms of deuterium and tritium are in supersaturation.
  • FIG. 3 shows a neutron tube provided with a multicellular ion source of the Penning type consisting of a cathode cavity 7 and a multi-hole anode 6, brought to a potential 4 to 8 kV higher than that of the cathode cavity itself brought to a very high voltage of 250 kV for example.
  • a multicellular ion source of the Penning type consisting of a cathode cavity 7 and a multi-hole anode 6, brought to a potential 4 to 8 kV higher than that of the cathode cavity itself brought to a very high voltage of 250 kV for example.
  • the magnet 8 provides a magnetic field for confining the ionized gas of the order of a thousand gauss.
  • the invention consists in exploiting, in a first known step, the property of multicellular discharge structures with confinement of magnetic type, namely that for the same anode section, the discharge current as well as the current of the ion beam extracted from this discharge are respectively greater in the case of a multicellular source structure than the same currents obtained in the case of a single-cell structure. Similarly, it is more advantageous to use a multicell structure with n anode holes than a multicell structure with m holes if n> m.
  • Each section of the structure with n holes is then smaller than each of the sections of the structure with m holes; but the aforementioned advantage is only ensured if the anode section remains equivalent for said structures, which makes it possible to reduce the pressure of the gaseous mixture and therefore the probability of ion-gas reactions.
  • a new structure with n cells has thus been constituted in known manner comprising the multi-hole anode 6 having n holes 61, 62, ... 6 n and the cathode 7 in which the anode holes have been practiced.
  • These multi-beams 3 are projected onto the target 4 by means of the extraction-acceleration electrode 2 having the same number of orifices 21, 22, ... 2 n as that of said beams and arranged along the same axes.
  • the number of orifices made in the extraction-acceleration electrode is less than that of the beams coming from the source: for example each orifice 13 of this electrode 2 delivers passage to two beams from the source as shown in the figure.
  • the divergence of the lines of force of the magnetic field shows that it is very high in the central area and gradually decreases to a very low value on the periphery.
  • the anode holes 6′1, 6′2, ..., 6 ′ n are, according to the invention, constituted as shown in FIG. 5 with radii varying in opposite directions to the magnetic field so that the product of magnetic induction by the anode radius remains substantially constant. This arrangement tends to standardize the density of ion current.
  • the device shown in Figure 6 provides a significant improvement in that the anode holes 6 ⁇ 1, 6 ⁇ 2, ..., 6 ⁇ n have frustoconical shapes which approximate the lines of force of the magnetic field.
  • an expansion chamber 14 is arranged below the cathodes in order to standardize the ion densities.
  • the emission is carried out through orifices 15 the number of which can be independent of that of the holes of the multi-hole anode.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Spectroscopy & Molecular Physics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Particle Accelerators (AREA)
  • Electron Sources, Ion Sources (AREA)

Claims (6)

  1. Abgedichtete Neutronenröhre, die eine Deuterium-Tritium-Gasmischung unter geringem Druck enthält, aus der eine Ionenquelle mit zwei Elektroden, einer Anode und einer Kathode, ein ionisiertes Gas bildet, das von einem durch Magneten (8) oder durch andere Magnetfeld-Erzeugungsmittel geschaffenen Begrenzungs-Magnetfeld weitergeleitet wird, wobei die Quelle von den Emissionskanälen in der Kathode ausgehend Ionenbündel emittiert, die eine Extraktions-Beschleunigungselektrode (2) durchqueren und mit hoher Energie auf eine Targetelektrode (4) gerichtet werden, um an dieser Stelle eine Fusionsreaktion zu erzeugen, die eine Neutronenemission auslöst, wobei die Ionenquelle vom vielzelligen Typ ist, der aus einer Elementarzellenstruktur vom Penning-Typ besteht, die für die Gesamtheit der Zellen einen Kathodenraum (7) enthält, in dessen Innere sich eine Mehrlochanode (6) befindet, wobei die Achsen der Löcher jeweils mit den entsprechenden Achsen der Emissionskannäle fluchten, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Anzahl der Löcher derart optimiert wird, daß das extrahierte Bündel für eine gleichwertige Bemessung der Ionenquelle sich vergrößert, und daß die Form und/oder die Abmessungen und/oder die Positionierung der Löcher an die Topologie des Magnetfelds derart angepaßt wird, daß der Strahl der Anodenlöcher (6′₁, 6′₂...6′n) der Ionenquelle von der Mitte nach der Peripherie der Struktur progressiv vergrößert wird, um die Topologie des Magnetfelds zu berücksichtigen.
  2. Neutronenröhre nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Löcher (6˝₁, 6˝₂...6˝n) der Ionenquelle eine Kegelstumpfform haben, um sich an die Topologie des Magnetfelds anzupassen.
  3. Neutronenröhre nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß eine Dehnungskammer (14) unter der Ionenquelle angeordnet ist, um die Dichten in der Nähe der durch die Öffnungen (15) auftretenden Ionenemission einheitlich zu machen, was in der dem Target zugewandten Kammerwand erfolgt, wobei die Anordnung und die Zahl der Öffnungen quasi-unabhängig von denen der Elementarzellen sein kann.
  4. Neutronenröhre nach Anspruch 1 oder 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Extraktions-Beschleunigungselektrode (2) eine Anzahl von Öffnungen (2₁, 2₂...2n) gleich der Anzahl von Anodenlöchern enthält und jeweils auf den Achsen der Emissionskanäle angeordnet sind.
  5. Neutronenröhre nach Anspruch 1 oder 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Extraktions-Beschleunigungselektrode (2) eine geringere Anzahl von Öffnungen als die Anzahl der Anodenlöcher enthält, wobei die Anordnung der Öffnungen auf der Extraktions-Beschleunigungselektrode es möglich macht, jedes Abfangen der Bündel zu vermeiden.
  6. Neutronenröhre nach Anspruch 4 oder 5, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Dicke der Extraktions-Beschleunigungselektrode (2) vergrößert wird, um die mechanische Festigkeit zu verbessern und ein Abkühlungsvorgang der Elektrode durch gezwungenen Flüssigkeitsumlauf zu ermöglichen.
EP89202465A 1988-10-07 1989-10-02 Mit einer multizellulären Ionenquelle mit magnetischem Einschluss versehene abgeschmolzene Neutronenröhre Expired - Lifetime EP0362947B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR8813187A FR2637726A1 (fr) 1988-10-07 1988-10-07 Tube neutronique scelle equipe d'une source d'ions multicellulaire a confinement magnetique
FR8813187 1988-10-07

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0362947A1 EP0362947A1 (de) 1990-04-11
EP0362947B1 true EP0362947B1 (de) 1995-04-26

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EP89202465A Expired - Lifetime EP0362947B1 (de) 1988-10-07 1989-10-02 Mit einer multizellulären Ionenquelle mit magnetischem Einschluss versehene abgeschmolzene Neutronenröhre

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US (1) US5078950A (de)
EP (1) EP0362947B1 (de)
JP (1) JP2825025B2 (de)
DE (1) DE68922364T2 (de)
FR (1) FR2637726A1 (de)

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2666477A1 (fr) * 1990-08-31 1992-03-06 Sodern Tube neutronique a flux eleve.
FR2710782A1 (fr) * 1993-09-29 1995-04-07 Sodern Tube neutronique à confinement magnétique des électrons par aimants permanents et son procédé de fabrication.
JP3122081B2 (ja) * 1998-11-25 2001-01-09 石油公団 中性子発生管
US6441569B1 (en) 1998-12-09 2002-08-27 Edward F. Janzow Particle accelerator for inducing contained particle collisions
US20100301196A1 (en) * 2007-05-02 2010-12-02 Wei-Kan Chu portable/mobile fissible material detector and methods for making and using same
US8891721B1 (en) 2011-03-30 2014-11-18 Sandia Corporation Neutron generators with size scalability, ease of fabrication and multiple ion source functionalities
CN102243900A (zh) * 2011-06-28 2011-11-16 中国原子能科学研究院 一种核反应堆启动用一次中子源部件
CN102709140B (zh) * 2012-05-23 2014-09-17 四川大学 一种用于中子管的气体放电型离子源
RU2634483C1 (ru) * 2016-12-09 2017-10-31 Федеральное государственное бюджетное научное учреждение "Федеральный исследовательский центр Институт прикладной физики Российской академии наук" (ИПФ РАН) Источник нейтронов ограниченных размеров для нейтронной томографии
WO2021091399A1 (en) 2019-11-06 2021-05-14 Kando Innovation Limited Productivity enhancement apparatus for power operated skinning equipment
IL281747B2 (en) 2021-03-22 2024-04-01 N T Tao Ltd System and method for creating plasma with high efficiency
RU209936U1 (ru) * 2021-11-24 2022-03-24 Федеральное Государственное Унитарное Предприятие "Всероссийский Научно-Исследовательский Институт Автоматики Им.Н.Л.Духова" (Фгуп "Внииа") Импульсный нейтронный генератор

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2806161A (en) * 1952-07-08 1957-09-10 Jr John S Foster Coasting arc ion source
GB980947A (en) * 1961-06-30 1965-01-20 Atomic Energy Authority Uk Neutron generator
FR1369531A (fr) * 1963-06-12 1964-08-14 Commissariat Energie Atomique Source d'ions du type penning
DE1303276B (de) * 1964-08-18 Philips Nv
JPS594819B2 (ja) * 1975-10-08 1984-02-01 双葉電子工業株式会社 イオン源
NL7707357A (en) * 1977-07-04 1979-01-08 Philips Nv Anode for neutron generator ion source - has holes aligned to outlets in cathode converging beams on target
US4423355A (en) * 1980-03-26 1983-12-27 Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Ion generating apparatus
US4447773A (en) * 1981-06-22 1984-05-08 California Institute Of Technology Ion beam accelerator system
GB2136328B (en) * 1983-02-17 1986-02-12 Marconi Co Ltd A method of making a grid
FR2550681B1 (fr) * 1983-08-12 1985-12-06 Centre Nat Rech Scient Source d'ions a au moins deux chambres d'ionisation, en particulier pour la formation de faisceaux d'ions chimiquement reactifs

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Publication number Publication date
DE68922364D1 (de) 1995-06-01
US5078950A (en) 1992-01-07
DE68922364T2 (de) 1995-12-14
JPH02276198A (ja) 1990-11-13
FR2637726A1 (fr) 1990-04-13
EP0362947A1 (de) 1990-04-11
JP2825025B2 (ja) 1998-11-18

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