Introduction

A neutron generation device that ensures high levels of safety and reliability both during operation and during maintenance. The innovation lies in the specific design of the evacuation of thermal power that takes place through phase change of the refrigerant and in the internal pumping system that is implemented by the rotation of the target.

Technical features

Globalization and access to health services for ever larger portions of the world population are causing a progressive increase in the demand for radiopharmaceutical-based diagnostic and therapeutic methods, the production of which is difficult for the aging of nuclear reactors with ever greater difficulties in adapting world supply to demand.The patented apparatus presents on the outer surface of a rotating disc is a thin metal film (typically Titanium) that has the property of retaining deuterium and tritium ions on it addressed by accelerator and favoring thermonuclear fusion resulting in the generation of fast neutrons. The rotating target contains a coolant in order to evacuate the high thermal power from the reaction zone due to the impact of the accelerated ions. The rotating target is completely sealed to avoid any risk of outward contamination. The circulation of the refrigerant fluid occurs as a result of the rotation of the device itself. Thermal exchange processes are based on phase change and, thanks to its high efficiency, ensure the evacuation of power in the order of some MW as required by industrial applications.

Possible Applications

• Production of medical radioisotopes;
• Use of fast neutrons for the study of materials;
• Laboratory research involving the use of neutrons.

Advantages

• Radio-isotope production without using fission reactors;
• Molybdenum-99 is not produced by Uranium but by natural Molybdenum;
• Simplification of the subsequent radioisotopic separation as uranium fission products are not formed;
• Increased process and product safety.