HIGH ENERGY PROTON OR NEUTRON SOURCE

• US 20100284502A1
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shine Technology Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Phoenix Nuclear Labs, LLC
• Inventors: Piefer, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 8,837,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 376/190
• CPC Class Codes: G21G 1/10 by bombardment with electrically charged particles irradiation devices G21K5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 6/00 Targets for producing nuclear reactions supports for targets or objects to be irradiated G21K5/08 ; preparation of tritium C01B4/00; targets, e.g. pellets for fusion reactions by laser or charged particles beam injection H05H1/22

Abstract

The invention provides a compact high energy proton source useful for medical isotope production and for other applications including transmutation of nuclear waste. The invention further provides a device that can be used to generate high fluxes of isotropic neutrons by changing fuel types. The invention further provides an apparatus for the generation of isotopes including but not limited to ¹⁸F, ¹¹C, ¹⁵O, ⁶³Zn, ¹²⁴I, ¹³³Xe, ¹¹¹In, ¹²⁵I, ¹³¹I, ⁹⁹Mo, and ¹³N.

Claims

1. A compact apparatus for generating nuclear particles, comprising:

an ion source for producing an ion beam;

an accelerator operatively coupled to the ion source for receiving the ion beam and accelerating the ion beam to yield an accelerated ion beam; and

a target system operatively coupled to the accelerator, for containing a nuclear particle-deriving target material which is reactive with the accelerated beam to emit nuclear particles, the target system selected from the group consisting of;

a) a magnetic target chamber;

b) a linear target chamber operatively coupled to a high speed synchronized pump; and

c) a linear target chamber operatively coupled to an isotope extraction system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the target system is a magnetic target chamber comprising:

a) a top and a bottom;

b) a first magnet mounted to the top; and

c) a second magnet mounted to the bottom, the first and second magnets causing the ion beam in the target chamber to recirculate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the target system is a linear target chamber.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the high speed synchronized pump comprises:

a) at least one blade;

b) at least one gap adjacent the at least one blade for allowing passage of the ion beam;

c) at least one timing signal; and

d) a controller functionally coupled to the at least one timing signal and the accelerator, the controller functioning to moderate the voltage of the accelerator for allowing passage of the ion beam to the target chamber and to prevent passage of the ion beam to the target chamber.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ion source includes:

a) an inlet for entry of a first fluid to be ionized and an outlet;

b) a vacuum chamber including a first and a second end, the first end connected to the inlet;

c) an RF antenna operatively connected to the vacuum chamber for positively ionizing the first fluid to create the ion beam, the vacuum chamber allowing passage of the ion beam from the inlet to outlet of the ion source; and

d) an ion injector, operatively connected to the second end of the vacuum chamber, and including a first stage connected to a second stage, the first stage of the ion injector for collimating the ion beam.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the accelerator is an electrode-driven accelerator.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the accelerator includes:

a) a first end and a second end, the first end connected to the second stage of the ion injector;

b) a vacuum chamber including an interior and an exterior, extending from the first end to the second end of the accelerator, and allowing passage of the ion beam from the first end to the second end of the accelerator;

c) at least two acceleration electrodes spaced along and each penetrating the chamber interior, to create an electric field with voltage decreasing from the first end to the second end of the accelerator such that the ion beam increases energy from the first end to the second end of the accelerator; and

d) an anti-corona ring connected to each acceleration electrode at the chamber exterior, decreasing the electric field.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an isotope extraction system, operatively coupled to the target system, for containing an isotope-deriving material.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the isotope extraction system includes a tubing carrying the isotope-deriving material comprising a second fluid, the nuclear particles penetrating the tubing of the isotope extraction system and reacting with the second fluid to create a radioisotope.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the target chamber includes walls which are transparent to the nuclear particles and the isotope extraction system is disposed proximate the target chamber.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the target chamber includes walls which are not transparent to the nuclear particles and the isotope extraction system is disposed within the target chamber.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an isotope-deriving material proximate to the target chamber, wherein the nuclear particles penetrate the walls of the target chamber.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a differential pumping system to reduce the flow of molecules from the target chamber to the accelerator, the pumping system including:

a) a first end and a second end, the first end connected to the second end of the accelerator;

b) at least one vacuum chamber allowing passage of the ion beam from the first end to the second end of the differential pumping system;

c) at least one vacuum pump connected to each vacuum chamber, reducing pressure; and

d) a vacuum pump exhaust connected to the vacuum pump.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a gas filtration system connected between the differential pumping system and the target chamber, the gas filtration system comprising:

a) a first end and a second end;

b) a getter trap at the first end of the gas filtration system, connected to the second end of the target chamber, trapping a hydrogen escaping the target chamber;

c) at least one liquid nitrogen trap at the second end of the gas filtration system, connected to the getter trap, trapping a fluid impurity escaping the target chamber;

d) at least one vacuum pump isolation valve, moveable between an open and a closed position, including one end connected to the traps, including a second end connected to the vacuum pump exhaust of the differential pumping system, and including a third end; and

e) a pump-out valve, moveable between an open and a closed position, connected to the third end of the vacuum pump isolation valve, allowing the fluid impurity to escape the gas filtration system when in the open position and when the vacuum pump isolation valve is in the closed position.

35. A nuclear particle produced using the apparatus of claim 1.

36. A method of generating protons or neutrons using the apparatus of claim 1.

15. A method of generating a nuclear particle, comprising:

activating an ion source to produce an ion beam;

accelerating the ion beam to a suitable energy to yield an accelerated ion beam;

directing the accelerated ion beam into a target system containing a selected nuclear particle-deriving target material, reactive with the beam, to yield nuclear particles, the target system selected from the group consisting of;

a) a magnetic target chamber;

b) a linear target chamber operatively coupled to a high speed synchronized pump; and

c) a linear target chamber operatively coupled to an isotope extraction system.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising reacting the nuclear particles with a selected isotope-deriving material to generate at least one isotope.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the ion beam comprises ²H ions and the nuclear particle-deriving target material comprises ³He.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the ion beam comprises ²H and the nuclear particle-deriving target material comprises ³H.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the isotope-deriving material is H₂¹⁶O, and the generated isotope is ¹³N.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the isotope-deriving material is H₂¹⁸O, and the generated isotope is ¹⁸F.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the isotope-deriving material is ⁹⁸Mo, and the generated isotope is ⁹⁹Mo.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the accelerated ion beam is at least 50 mA and at least 100 keV beam.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the nuclear particles are 0.3-30 MeV protons.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the nuclear particle-deriving target material has a pressure of about 0 mtorr to about 100 Torr.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein the nuclear particle-deriving target material has a pressure of about 100 mTorr to about 30 Torr.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the nuclear particles are 0.1-30 MeV neutrons.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the generated isotope is selected from the group consisting of ¹⁸F, ¹¹C, ¹⁵O, ¹³N, ⁶³Zn, and ¹²⁴I.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the generated isotope is selected from the group consisting of ¹³¹I, ¹³³Xe, ¹¹¹In, ¹²⁵I, and ⁹⁹Mo.

33. The method of claim 16, wherein the generated isotope is selected from the group consisting of ¹⁸F, ¹¹C, ¹⁵O, ¹³N, ⁶³Zn, ¹²⁴I, ¹³¹I, ¹³³Xe, ¹¹¹In, ¹²⁵I, and ⁹⁹Mo.

34. The method of claim 15, wherein the nuclear particle-deriving target material comprises ³He, ²H, or ³H.

19. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

32. (canceled)