A target holder for isotope production

Abstract

A target support for isotope production includes a target cylinder, two end covers and two locking rings, the end cover includes a through hole, a plurality of insertion plates which can be inserted and clamped in the target cylinder are arranged around the through hole, and the wall surface on one side of the insertion plate is integrated with the wall surface of the through hole, and the surface of the insertion plate is provided with a clamping part protruding outward; the target cylinder has a clamping structure matched with the clamping part; the locking ring is in interference fit with the through hole and the insertion plate, and can be locked by pressing the surface of the insertion plate from the inside after the clamping part and the clamping structure are clamped. The target support for isotope production can be recycled after the completion of isotope production in one batch, effectively reducing the material cost and reducing the generation of radioactive waste.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of nuclear engineering, and more specifically to a target support for isotope production. Background Technology

[0002] With technological advancements, various radioactive isotopes are finding increasingly widespread applications in agriculture, medicine, and industry. Currently, isotope production largely relies on existing reactors, employing nuclear fission or neutron capture to produce various isotopes. When producing isotopes using a reactor, a target needs to be placed inside the reactor and exposed to neutron radiation to convert stable elements into radioactive isotopes. Currently, target supports for reactor-based isotope production typically use welding to fix the target to a cylindrical support. This necessitates the use of destructive methods to open the support and remove the target after irradiation treatment. This process is complex, time-consuming, and increases the risk of radiation exposure for operators. Furthermore, the support needs to be discarded after a single use, leading to waste and increasing the difficulty of handling radioactive contaminants. Therefore, providing a reusable target support for isotope production has significant practical value in reducing isotope production costs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a target support for isotope production that can be reused.

[0004] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a target support for isotope production is provided, comprising a target cylinder, a target mounting structure disposed within the target cylinder, and two end caps and two locking rings. Each end cap includes an end cap plate and a plurality of insert plates, the diameter of which is larger than the inner diameter of the target cylinder. A through hole is provided in the center of the end cap plate, and the insert plates protrude from the edge of the through hole on one side of the end cap plate. One side wall of each of the plurality of insert plates is integrally formed with the wall of the through hole. At least a portion of the insert plates has a snap-fit ​​portion at its end, protruding circumferentially outward from the surface of the insert plate. Snap-fit ​​structures are provided on the inner walls at both ends of the target cylinder, the snap-fit ​​structures matching the snap-fit ​​portions to allow the insert plates to be inserted into the target cylinder and connected to the snap-fit ​​structures via the snap-fit ​​portions. The locking ring is configured to have an interference fit with the through hole and the plurality of insert plates, so as to allow the locking ring to be inserted axially into the target cylinder and abut against the surface of the plurality of insert plates, thereby tightening the snap-fit ​​portion against the snap-fit ​​structure.

[0005] The target support adopts a detachable connection structure, which uses a snap-fit ​​structure between the end cap and the target cylinder for snap-fit ​​connection and a locking ring for axial locking, so that the target support can be recycled. This reduces material costs on the one hand and reduces the amount of radioactive waste generated on the other.

[0006] Furthermore, in some embodiments, a lifting beam is provided on the side of the end cap plate facing away from the insert plate of one of the end caps. The lifting beam facilitates the removal of the target support from the reactor.

[0007] Furthermore, in some embodiments, upright plates are provided at both ends of the lifting beam, and the lifting beam is connected to the end cap as a whole through the upright plates. The upright plates increase the distance between the lifting beam and the end cap plate, facilitating the installation and removal of the locking ring and avoiding interference.

[0008] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the upright plate and the end cover plate are integrally formed, and the lifting beam and the upright plate are welded together.

[0009] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the upright plates at both ends of the lifting beam are provided with coaxial lifting holes.

[0010] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the snap-fit ​​portion is configured as a snap-fit ​​foot, and the snap-fit ​​structure is configured as a groove. The snap-fit ​​foot and the groove cooperate to form an elastic connection, facilitating the installation and removal of the end cap.

[0011] Furthermore, the target mounting structure is configured with multiple pairs of slots arranged parallel to the axial direction of the target cylinder, and the spacing between a pair of slots is greater than the distance between the walls of the through holes in the same plane. The slot spacing is greater than the through hole size to prevent the target from falling off.

[0012] Furthermore, in some embodiments, a pair of parallel fixed walls are provided inside the target cylinder, and the pair of slots are respectively provided on the pair of parallel fixed walls.

[0013] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the wall thickness of the locking ring is at least 2 mm. The locking ring should have sufficient strength and rigidity to form a secure lock on the end cover plate. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1a This is a schematic diagram of the target support structure in one embodiment;

[0015] Figure 1b This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the plate support in one embodiment;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the end cap plate structure at the first end of the target support in one embodiment;

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the end cap plate structure at the second end of the target support in one embodiment;

[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the insert plate structure in one embodiment;

[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the locking ring structure in one embodiment;

[0020] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the end structure of the target tube in one embodiment.

[0021] The purpose of the above-described drawings is to provide a detailed description of the present invention so that those skilled in the art can understand the technical concept of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention. For the sake of brevity, the above-described drawings only schematically depict the structures related to the technical features of the present invention, and do not depict the complete structure and all details strictly according to actual scale. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0023] The term "embodiment" as used herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment herein. The phrase appearing in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it limited to mutually exclusive, independent, or alternative embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments herein can be combined with other embodiments without causing structural conflicts.

[0024] In this description, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the technical terms "installation," "connection," "joining," etc., should be interpreted broadly, referring to movable connections, fixed connections, or integration. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in the embodiments of this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0025] In this description, terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "lateral," "longitudinal," "height," "length," and "width," which indicate orientation or positional relationships, are intended to accurately describe the embodiments and simplify the description, rather than limiting the parts or structures involved to have a specific orientation, or to be installed or operated in a specific orientation, and should not be construed as limiting the embodiments in this document.

[0026] In this description, terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be construed as indicating relative importance or limiting the number, specific order, or primary / secondary relationship of the described technical features. In this description, "multiple" means at least two.

[0027] Currently, the production of most isotopes worldwide relies on nuclear reactors. Targets are placed in the reactor's irradiation channels for neutron irradiation, causing the target element to capture neutrons and transform into a radioactive isotope. This method can produce various radioactive isotopes such as 99Mo, 14C, and 67Cu, with wide applications in medicine, agricultural breeding, and industrial production. However, due to the high-intensity neutron radiation in nuclear reactors, the supports holding the targets become radioactively contaminated after use, requiring deep burial as low- or intermediate-level radioactive waste. Current target supports are typically simple in structure, simply welding the target into a sleeve within the support. After irradiation, the support must be destroyed to remove the target, leading to material waste and increased pressure on radioactive waste disposal.

[0028] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a reusable target support for isotope production, the structure of which is as follows: Figure 1a As shown, the target support is made entirely of aluminum alloy and includes a cylindrical target cylinder 1 and a first end cap 2a and a second end cap 2b located at both ends of the target cylinder 1. The target cylinder 1 is 800 mm long. The cross-sectional structure of the target support is shown in the figure. Figure 1b As shown, the target tube 1 has an outer diameter of 48 mm. An axially penetrating flow channel 11 is provided inside the target tube 1. The flow channel 11 includes a pair of parallel fixed walls 12a and 12b. The two ends of the fixed walls 12a and 12b are connected together by two arc-shaped surfaces. Multiple pairs of slots extending parallel to the axial direction of the target tube 1 are provided on the fixed walls 12a and 12b respectively. The plate-shaped target element 4 can be installed and fixed in these slots. The spacing between each pair of slots is approximately 6 mm, and the distance between the slot opening and the end of the target tube 1 is approximately 10 mm to allow installation space for the first end cap 2a and the second end cap 2b. The central angles corresponding to the two arc-shaped surfaces connecting the fixed walls 12a and 12b are 64°. The target element 4 contains the element to be irradiated and can produce radioactive isotopes such as 99Mo by receiving neutron irradiation.

[0029] In other embodiments, depending on the properties of the production elements and the target structure, the cross-sectional structure of the target cylinder 1 can also take other forms. For example, the flow channel 11 can be set as a circle, and a tube sheet is provided in the flow channel 11 to install a tubular target containing gaseous material for the production of gaseous radioactive isotopes.

[0030] The structure of the first end cap 2a is as follows: Figure 2As shown, the first end cap 2a includes an end cap plate 21a with a diameter of not less than 48 mm. A pair of trapezoidal vertical plates 22 protrude parallel to each other on the surface of the end cap plate 21a. The vertical plates 22 and the end cap plate 21a are integrally formed. A lifting beam 23 is welded between the two vertical plates 22. A pair of coaxial lifting holes 24 are provided on the surface of the vertical plates 22 between the lifting beam 23 and the end cap plate 21a. A through hole 25a is provided in the middle of the end cap plate 21a. The shape of the through hole 25a is basically the same as the cross-sectional shape of the flow channel 11, but the size is slightly smaller.

[0031] The structure of the second end cap 2b is as follows: Figure 3 As shown, the second end cap 2b includes an end cap plate 21b, the diameter of which is also not less than 48mm. A through hole 25b is provided in the middle of the end cap plate 21b. The shape of the through hole 25b is basically the same as the cross-sectional shape of the flow channel 11a, but the size is slightly smaller.

[0032] Both the first end cap 2a and the second end cap 2b are provided with insert plates protruding from the end cap plates 21a and 21b, for insertion into the target cylinder 1. Taking the second end cap 2b as an example, as... Figure 4 As shown, insert plates 26a-26f protrude around the through hole 25b. The inner surfaces of the insert plates 26a-26f (referring to the radially inner surfaces of the opposite end cover plate 21b) extend along the wall of the through hole 25b and are integral with the wall of the through hole 25b. The insert plates 26a, 26b, 26d, and 26e are generally arc-shaped, located at the arc segments at both ends of the flow channel 11. The main bodies of the insert plates 26c and 26f are connected to and extend integrally with the fixed walls 12a and 12b parallel to the flow channel 11. The ends of the insert plates 26a, 26b, 26d, and 26e are provided with outwardly protruding retaining feet 27 (referring to the radially outer surfaces of the opposite end cover plate 21b), corresponding to... Figure 6 The flow channel 11 is provided with a matching slot 13. When the insert plates 26a-26f are inserted into the flow channel 11, the locking feet 27 are elastically engaged in the slot 13 by the insert plates 26a-26f, so that the second end cap 2b is engaged in the target cylinder 1. The end cap plate 21b abuts against the end of the target cylinder 1, preventing the second end cap 2b from sliding entirely into the flow channel 11. The first end cap 1a has an insert plate with the same structure on the back side of the lifting beam 23, so that the first end cap 1a can be engaged in the target cylinder 1 in the same way.

[0033] The target support also includes a locking ring 3, the structure of which is as follows: Figure 5As shown, its outer peripheral surface 31 can form an interference fit with the annular structure formed by the through holes 25a, 25b and the insert plates 26a-26f. When the locking foot 27 is engaged with the slot 13, the locking ring 3 can abut against the surface of the insert plates 26a-26f from the inside, pressing the locking foot 27 against the slot 13, so that the locking foot 27 cannot be dislodged from the slot 13. The thickness between the inner peripheral surface 32 and the outer peripheral surface 31 of the locking ring 3 is at least 2 mm, so that the locking ring 3 has sufficient rigidity and still has sufficient strength after long-term neutron irradiation.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, such as Figures 1a to 5 The process of using the target support for isotope production is as follows: First, the sheet target 4 is inserted into the slot in the flow channel 11 for fixation. Then, the first end cap 2a and the second end cap 2b are installed at both ends of the target tube 1. After the locking feet 27 of the insert plates 26a-26f are engaged with the slots 13, the locking rings 3 are inserted through the through holes 25a and 25b respectively and tightened from the inside to achieve locking. Using a tooling that passes through the lifting hole 24 and hooks the lifting beam 23, the entire target support is lifted to a vertical position and sent into the irradiation channel of the research reactor for several weeks of irradiation treatment of the target 4. After treatment, the target support is removed by using a robotic arm to hook the lifting beam 23 and the locking rings 3 are pulled out. The target 4 is then removed in sequence for isotope separation. The target support can be reused after rinsing. This target support can serve continuously in the research reactor for several years without damage, effectively reducing the generation of radioactive waste.

[0035] In other embodiments, the material and structure of the target support can be adapted to actual needs. For example, the target cylinder material can be replaced with zirconium alloy; the lifting beam fixed on the upright plate 24 can be replaced with one or more lifting rings; the locking feet 27 at the ends of the insert plates 26a-26f can also be replaced with limiting bosses or limiting pins, and the corresponding slots 13 in the target cylinder 1 can be provided with open ends for the limiting bosses or limiting pins to screw into; in some embodiments, the flow channel of the target cylinder 1 can be configured as circular, and the corresponding insert plates can also be configured as multiple circumferentially distributed plates, for example, arranged at 120° intervals, 90° intervals or 60° intervals.

[0036] The purpose of the above embodiments is to provide a further detailed description of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can understand the technical concept of the present invention. Within the scope of the present invention, optimization or equivalent replacement of the involved part structures, as well as combination of implementation methods in different embodiments without causing structural and principle conflicts, all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A target support for isotope production, comprising a target cylinder, wherein a target mounting structure is disposed within the target cylinder, characterized in that, The target support for isotope production also includes two end caps and two locking rings. The end cap includes an end cap plate and a plurality of insert plates. The diameter of the end cap plate is larger than the inner diameter of the target cylinder. A through hole is provided in the middle of the end cap plate. The insert plates protrude from the edge of the through hole on one side of the end cap plate. One side wall of the plurality of insert plates is integral with the wall of the through hole. At least some of the insert plates have a snap-fit ​​portion at their ends. The snap-fit ​​portion protrudes outward from the circumferential side of the end cap plate from the surface of the insert plate. The inner walls at both ends of the target cylinder are provided with snap-fit ​​structures, which match the snap-fit ​​parts to allow the insert plate to be inserted into the target cylinder and connected to the snap-fit ​​structure through the snap-fit ​​parts. The locking ring is configured to have an interference fit with the through hole and the plurality of insert plates, so as to allow the locking ring to be inserted axially into the target cylinder and abut against the surface of the plurality of insert plates, thereby tightening the snap-fit ​​portion against the snap-fit ​​structure.

2. The target support for isotope production according to claim 1, characterized in that, One of the end caps has a lifting beam on the side of the end cap plate facing away from the insert plate.

3. The target support for isotope production according to claim 2, characterized in that, The lifting beam is provided with upright plates at both ends, and the lifting beam is connected to the end cap as a whole through the upright plates.

4. The target support for isotope production according to claim 3, characterized in that, The upright plate and the end cover plate are integrally formed, and the lifting beam and the upright plate are welded together.

5. The target support for isotope production according to claim 3, characterized in that, The vertical plates at both ends of the lifting beam are provided with coaxial lifting holes.

6. The target support for isotope production according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The snap-fit ​​part is configured as a snap-fit ​​foot, and the snap-fit ​​structure is configured as a groove.

7. The target support for isotope production according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The target mounting structure is configured as multiple pairs of slots arranged parallel to the axial direction of the target cylinder, and the spacing between a pair of slots is greater than the distance between the walls of the through holes in the same plane.

8. The target support for isotope production according to claim 7, characterized in that, The target cylinder is provided with a pair of parallel fixed walls, and the pair of slots are respectively provided on the pair of parallel fixed walls.

9. The target support for isotope production according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The wall thickness of the locking ring is at least 2 mm.

Images