A multi-parameter intelligent collaborative regulation method and system for an ECR ion source based on neutron yield feedback

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of nuclear technology, plasma physics and automatic control, and particularly relates to an ECR ion source multi-parameter intelligent collaborative regulation method and system based on neutron yield feedback. The technical scheme comprises the following steps: performing system self-checking and safety starting sequence, automatically starting multiple subsystems in a preset order, and verifying whether the running state of each subsystem meets the preset running condition; after the preset running condition is met, automatically setting the initial running parameters of the ECR ion source and igniting the plasma; real-time acquisition of the neutron yield signal of the ECR ion source; comparison of the neutron yield signal with the preset target value. Through the four-stage progressive intelligent collaborative regulation based on neutron yield feedback and the full-automatic safety protection, the present application significantly improves the regulation efficiency and neutron yield stability of the ECR ion source, reduces the operation threshold, and enhances the system safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the interdisciplinary fields of nuclear technology, plasma physics and automatic control, and in particular to a method and system for intelligent coordinated control of multiple parameters of an ECR ion source based on neutron yield feedback. Background Technology

[0002] An ECR (Electron Cyclotron Resonance) ion source is a device that uses microwaves to heat plasma to generate a high-charge ion beam. It has wide applications in scientific research, neutron physics experiments, medical isotope production, industrial non-destructive testing, and nuclear material analysis. The ECR ion source maintains a stable plasma state through the synergistic effect of multiple physical fields, including microwave power, high-voltage electric field, magnetic field, and gas flow rate, and ultimately generates neutron yield by targeting the target with the beam.

[0003] Currently, the operation and control of neutron generators in ECR ion sources mainly rely on manual adjustments based on the operator's experience. Operators need to repeatedly adjust multiple parameters, such as high-voltage, beam current, microwave power, and gas flow rate, based on neutron detector readings. However, ECR plasma itself exhibits highly nonlinear characteristics, and there are complex coupling relationships between various operating parameters—for example, adjusting the microwave power affects plasma density and electron temperature, while changing the gas flow rate, in turn, affects the impedance matching state of the plasma, thus altering the actual coupling efficiency of the microwave power. This strong coupling characteristic of multiple parameters makes the manual adjustment process extremely cumbersome; operators often need several hours of repeated trials to find a usable parameter combination, and even then, it is difficult to guarantee that this combination is the optimal configuration.

[0004] Furthermore, neutron yield measurement itself has a statistical delay (typically several to tens of seconds), meaning that a sufficient amount of time must be waited after each adjustment before the adjustment effect can be evaluated. In manual operation mode, this measurement delay further exacerbates the inefficiency of the adjustment process. During system operation, parameter drift caused by factors such as equipment aging, temperature drift, and changes in vacuum cannot be automatically compensated for, resulting in significant fluctuations in neutron yield over long periods of operation, making stability difficult to guarantee. The system's safety also heavily relies on real-time manual monitoring, posing a safety hazard due to untimely response.

[0005] Analysis of existing technical literature and patent databases reveals that most existing automated control schemes for ECR ion sources rely on single-parameter or dual-parameter local feedback control based on plasma spectral diagnostic signals or electrical parameters (such as reflected power and cavity pressure). No solutions have yet been found that use the final neutron yield as a macroscopic performance indicator as direct feedback to systematically and collaboratively regulate multiple key operating parameters. In particular, existing technologies lack effective strategies for controlling oscillations under conditions of strong multi-parameter coupling. Therefore, this application proposes a method and system for intelligent collaborative regulation of multiple parameters in ECR ion sources based on neutron yield feedback. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to address the problems existing in the background art by proposing a method and system for intelligent coordinated control of multiple parameters of an ECR ion source based on neutron yield feedback.

[0007] In a first aspect, this application provides a method for intelligent coordinated control of multiple parameters of an ECR ion source based on neutron yield feedback, comprising the following steps:

[0008] S1. Execute the system self-test and safe startup sequence, automatically start multiple subsystems in a preset order, and verify whether the operating status of each subsystem meets the preset operating conditions;

[0009] S2. After the preset operating conditions are met, the initial operating parameters of the ECR ion source are automatically set and the plasma is ignited.

[0010] S3. Real-time acquisition of the neutron yield signal of the ECR ion source;

[0011] S4. Compare the neutron yield signal with a preset target value. If the neutron yield signal is lower than the preset target value, execute a four-level progressive intelligent adjustment algorithm. The algorithm adjusts the high voltage, beam current, microwave power and gas flow rate in a preset priority order. After each adjustment is completed, wait for a preset stabilization time, and then determine whether the neutron yield signal has reached the preset target value. If not, proceed to the next adjustment level until the neutron yield signal reaches and is maintained within the target range defined by the preset target value.

[0012] S5. Throughout steps S1 to S4, fully automatic safety protection and monitoring are performed in parallel, the system operating parameters are monitored in real time, and protection actions are triggered when the operating parameters exceed the corresponding thresholds.

[0013] Optionally, the four-level progressive intelligent adjustment algorithm described in step S4 specifically includes:

[0014] The first-stage regulation uses the high voltage as the controlled parameter and increases the high voltage by a first preset step size.

[0015] If the neutron yield signal still fails to reach the preset target value after the first stage of adjustment, the second stage of adjustment is entered, and the beam current is increased by a second preset step size, with the beam current as the controlled parameter.

[0016] If the neutron yield signal still fails to reach the preset target value after the second-level adjustment, the third-level adjustment is entered, and the microwave power is increased by a third preset step size, with microwave power as the controlled parameter.

[0017] If the neutron yield signal still fails to reach the preset target value after the third-level adjustment, then the fourth-level adjustment is entered, and the gas flow rate is increased by a fourth preset step size, with the gas flow rate as the controlled parameter.

[0018] If the neutron yield signal still fails to reach the preset target value after the fourth level of adjustment, then return to the first level of adjustment to start a new cycle.

[0019] Optionally, the preset stabilization time corresponding to the first-level adjustment, the second-level adjustment, the third-level adjustment, and the fourth-level adjustment is 10 seconds to 60 seconds; the first preset step size is 1kV to 15kV, the second preset step size is 2mA to 20mA, the third preset step size is 1.05 times to 1.2 times the current microwave power value, and the fourth preset step size is 0.1sccm to 1.0sccm.

[0020] Optionally, step S4 further includes: adaptively adjusting the adjustment step size of the current level adjustment according to the deviation between the neutron yield signal and the preset target value, wherein the larger the deviation, the larger the adjustment step size, and the smaller the deviation, the smaller the adjustment step size.

[0021] Optionally, the system self-test and secure boot sequence in step S1 includes:

[0022] Start the water cooling system sequentially and verify that its temperature and flow rate are within the preset range;

[0023] Start the mechanical pump to evacuate the vacuum chamber and monitor whether the vacuum level has reached the preset rough vacuum value;

[0024] After the rough vacuum preset value is met, the molecular pump is started, the vacuum level is monitored to see if the high vacuum preset value is reached, and the time taken from start-up to reaching the high vacuum preset value is recorded. If the time taken exceeds the preset time threshold, the timeout protection is triggered.

[0025] Optionally, the triggering conditions for the fully automatic safety protection monitoring described in step S5 include at least one of the following:

[0026] The vacuum level is higher than the preset high vacuum threshold.

[0027] The emergency stop button was triggered;

[0028] The high voltage exceeds the preset voltage limit.

[0029] The beam current exceeds the preset current limit;

[0030] Microwave power exceeds the preset power limit;

[0031] The temperature of the water cooling system exceeds the preset temperature range or the flow rate is lower than the preset lower limit.

[0032] In a second aspect, this application provides a multi-parameter intelligent collaborative control system for an ECR ion source based on neutron yield feedback for implementing the method described in the first aspect, comprising:

[0033] The neutron yield monitoring module is used to collect the neutron yield signal of the ECR ion source in real time;

[0034] The multi-parameter acquisition module is used to acquire system operating parameters, including vacuum level, water cooling system status parameters, microwave power, high voltage, beam current and gas flow rate.

[0035] The intelligent control module is communicatively connected to the neutron yield monitoring module and the multi-parameter acquisition module, respectively. The intelligent control module has a built-in control program for executing the system self-test and safety start sequence, the four-level progressive intelligent adjustment algorithm, and the fully automatic safety protection logic.

[0036] An execution module, connected to the intelligent control module, is used to receive control commands from the intelligent control module to drive the microwave power source, high-voltage power supply, gas flow controller and vacuum pump group to perform corresponding actions respectively.

[0037] The human-computer interaction module is communicatively connected to the intelligent control module and is used for operators to set parameters, monitor system status, and display data.

[0038] Optionally, the intelligent control module is a programmable logic controller, and the human-machine interaction module is a monitoring computer based on industrial control configuration software;

[0039] The programmable logic controller records the current adjustment level through its internally maintained state variables, and resets the state variables when a complete four-level adjustment cycle is completed or when the neutron yield signal reaches the preset target value.

[0040] Thirdly, this application provides an electronic device including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the method described in the first aspect.

[0041] Fourthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, implements the method described in the first aspect.

[0042] Compared with the prior art, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0043] This invention automates the entire process from system startup and parameter optimization to stable operation, reducing the adjustment time from approximately 20 minutes in the traditional manual method to approximately 3 minutes, thus improving adjustment efficiency several times over.

[0044] By using closed-loop feedback and progressive priority adjustment based on the final neutron yield, this invention optimizes the neutron yield fluctuation range from ±30% in the traditional method to within ±5%, improving stability by more than 80% and effectively solving the problem of neutron yield fluctuation caused by parameter drift.

[0045] It achieves fully automated control from one-click startup to stable operation, greatly reducing the technical requirements and labor costs for operators. Ordinary technicians can complete the system startup and operation monitoring.

[0046] A fully automated safety protection system covering multiple dimensions such as vacuum level, electrical parameters, and water cooling status has been constructed, reducing the safety response time from seconds of manual response to less than 1 second of automatic response, effectively avoiding safety accidents that may be caused by untimely response.

[0047] In summary, this invention significantly improves the regulation efficiency and neutron yield stability of the ECR ion source through a four-level progressive intelligent collaborative regulation based on neutron yield feedback and fully automatic safety protection, while reducing the operating threshold and enhancing system safety. Attached Figure Description

[0048] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall hardware architecture of the system of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 2 This is the overall flowchart of the control method of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 3 The flowchart shows the core of this invention: a four-level progressive intelligent adjustment algorithm.

[0051] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the fully automatic safety protection logic of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0052] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features described therein can be combined with each other.

[0053] Example 1: System Hardware Architecture and Module Composition. (Refer to...) Figure 1 This embodiment describes in detail the hardware platform architecture of the system of the present invention and the specific implementation of each functional module.

[0054] like Figure 1 As shown, the system of the present invention mainly includes five core functional modules: neutron yield monitoring module, multi-parameter acquisition module, intelligent control module, execution module, and human-computer interaction module.

[0055] (I) Neutron Yield Monitoring Module. The neutron yield monitoring module is used to acquire the neutron yield signal generated by the ECR ion source in real time, serving as the feedback signal source for the entire closed-loop control system. In this embodiment, a BF3 proportional counter tube (boron trifluoride proportional counter tube) is selected as the neutron detector. This type of detector has high detection efficiency for thermal neutrons, and the amplitude of the output pulse signal has a good linear relationship with the neutron fluence rate. The neutron detection principle of the BF3 proportional counter tube is based on nuclear reactions. 10 B(n,α) 7 Li, alpha particles produced by the reaction and 7 The Li nucleus causes gas ionization inside the counting tube, generating electrical pulse signals that can be recorded by electronic circuitry.

[0056] The output signal of the neutron detector is first conditioned and amplified by a preamplifier, and then sent to the data acquisition unit for pulse counting. The core of the data acquisition unit is a high-speed counting module, which accumulates and counts the number of pulses per unit time, and calculates the absolute neutron yield (unit: n / s) using a pre-calibrated detection efficiency coefficient. The data acquisition unit then uploads the calculated neutron yield value to the intelligent control module in real time via an industrial communication bus (such as PROFIBUS or PROFINET).

[0057] It should be noted that neutron yield measurement inherently involves statistical fluctuations and measurement delays. Statistical fluctuations follow a Poisson distribution, and their relative uncertainty is inversely proportional to the square root of the count. The measurement delay is primarily determined by the detector's response time, the processing time of the electronic circuitry, and the integration time of the data acquisition unit. In this embodiment, the integration time of the data acquisition unit (i.e., the counting duration of a single sample) is set to 1 second, ensuring statistical accuracy while also meeting the real-time requirements of control. After receiving the neutron yield data, the intelligent control module can further employ a moving average filtering algorithm to smooth the data, thereby suppressing the interference of statistical fluctuations on control decisions.

[0058] (II) Multi-parameter acquisition module. The multi-parameter acquisition module is responsible for acquiring various operating status parameters of the ECR ion source system, providing the intelligent control module with comprehensive system status awareness. Specifically, the acquired signals include:

[0059] (1) Vacuum signal: A wide-range vacuum measurement is performed using a combination of a Pirani gauge and a cold cathode ionization meter (cold cathode gauge). The Pirani gauge is based on the principle of thermal conductivity and is suitable for a range from rough vacuum to high vacuum. 5 Pa to 10 -1 Pa measurement; the cold cathode ionization meter is based on the gas discharge principle and is suitable for high vacuum to high ultimate vacuum range of 10. -1 Pa to 10 -6 The measurement of Pa is performed. The measurement signals from both vacuum gauges are converted into 4-20mA standard industrial current signals by their respective transmitters and then connected to the analog input channel of the intelligent control module.

[0060] (2) Water cooling system status parameters: including cooling water temperature and cooling water flow rate. A PT100 platinum resistance temperature sensor is used for temperature measurement, with a range of 0-100℃ and an accuracy class of A. A turbine flow meter or electromagnetic flow meter is used for flow measurement, with a range of 0-5 m / s and an output of a 4-20 mA standard signal. The temperature and flow rate data of the water cooling system are used to monitor the heat exchange status of the system, ensuring that the ECR ion source is not damaged by overheating during high-power operation.

[0061] (3) Microwave power signal: The forward and reflected power values ​​of the microwave source are obtained through a directional coupler and a power meter, and are connected to the intelligent control module in the form of a 4-20mA signal. The magnitude of the reflected power directly reflects the impedance matching degree between the microwave power and the plasma, and is an important indirect indicator for evaluating the plasma state.

[0062] (4) High voltage signal: The actual accelerating voltage value is obtained from the output terminal of the high voltage power supply through a high voltage divider, and after isolation and transmission, it is converted into a standard analog signal and connected to the intelligent control module. The high voltage measurement range covers 0-60kV, and the measurement accuracy is better than ±1%.

[0063] (5) Beam current signal: The actual beam current value is obtained by connecting a precision sampling resistor in series in the high voltage circuit or by using a Hall current sensor. The range is 0-1.5A and the accuracy is better than ±0.5%.

[0064] (6) Gas flow signal: A thermal mass flow meter (MFC, Mass Flow Controller) is used to measure the gas flow rate entering the ion source. The range is 0-50 sccm (standard milliliters per minute), and the control accuracy is ±1% of full scale. The mass flow meter has both flow measurement and flow control functions. Its flow setpoint is given by the intelligent control module through the analog output channel or digital communication interface.

[0065] All analog signals are transmitted to the analog input module of the intelligent control module through shielded cables. The signal transmission adopts a 4-20mA current loop method to improve anti-interference capability.

[0066] (III) Intelligent Control Module. The intelligent control module is the core of the entire system, undertaking multiple tasks such as control logic operations, status management, safety monitoring, and human-machine interaction communication. In this embodiment, the intelligent control module preferably adopts a programmable logic controller (PLC), specifically the Siemens S7-1214C. This PLC has the following technical features: it integrates 14 digital inputs / 10 digital outputs, 2 analog inputs / 2 analog outputs, supports expansion of up to 8 signal modules, has a PROFINET industrial Ethernet communication interface, a program storage capacity of 75KB, and a fast instruction execution speed (bit instruction execution time is approximately 0.08μs), fully meeting the system's requirements for real-time control and complex logic operations.

[0067] The internal program structure of a PLC mainly includes the following functional units:

[0068] (1) System self-test and safe start control unit: responsible for executing the sequential start, status verification and timeout protection logic of each subsystem in the system startup process.

[0069] (2) Four-level progressive intelligent adjustment algorithm unit: The core of this invention is embedded in the four-level progressive adjustment algorithm, which automatically makes adjustment decisions based on the neutron yield feedback value.

[0070] (3) Fully automatic safety protection logic unit: an independent and parallel safety monitoring program that scans various safety trigger conditions in real time and executes corresponding protection actions.

[0071] (4) Communication and data management unit: responsible for exchanging data with the human-machine interaction module (monitoring computer), uploading system operation data and receiving control instructions and parameter settings from operators.

[0072] In PLC programming, the state management of the four-level progressive intelligent adjustment algorithm is achieved through internally maintained state variables. Specifically, the PLC defines a byte-type state variable, Adjust_Step, in the Data Block (DB) to record the current adjustment level: 0 indicates standby or achieved target, 1 indicates the first level of adjustment (high voltage adjustment), 2 indicates the second level of adjustment (beam current adjustment), 3 indicates the third level of adjustment (microwave power adjustment), and 4 indicates the fourth level of adjustment (gas flow rate adjustment). When the adjustment cycle is completed or the neutron yield reaches the target, this state variable is reset to 0.

[0073] (iv) Execution Module. The execution module is the final execution unit of the control commands, including the drive units for equipment such as microwave power sources, high-voltage power supplies, gas flow controllers, and vacuum pump sets. Each actuator is connected to the PLC via digital output (DO) and analog output (AO) channels:

[0074] (1) Microwave power source: a solid-state microwave source or magnetron microwave source with a frequency of 2.45GHz, and an output power that is continuously adjustable from 0 to 2000W. The power setting terminal of the microwave power source receives a 0-10V or 4-20mA control signal provided by the PLC analog output module to realize remote adjustment of the output power. At the same time, the start / stop of the microwave power source is controlled by the digital output channel of the PLC.

[0075] (2) High-voltage power supply: It is a 0-50kV adjustable DC high-voltage power supply with a maximum output current of 1A. The voltage setting terminal of the high-voltage power supply receives the analog control signal from the PLC. The high-voltage output and cut-off are controlled by the digital output of the PLC through the remote enable interface of the high-voltage power supply. The high-voltage power supply integrates overvoltage, overcurrent and short-circuit protection functions, and its fault status signal is connected to the digital input channel of the PLC.

[0076] (3) Gas flow controller: It is a thermal mass flow controller (MFC). Its flow setpoint is given by the analog output channel (0-5V or 4-20mA) of the PLC. The MFC automatically adjusts the opening of the internal solenoid valve according to the setpoint to maintain the set flow value. The actual flow measurement value of the MFC is fed back to the PLC through the analog input channel.

[0077] (4) Vacuum pump assembly: This includes mechanical pumps (rotary vane vacuum pumps) and molecular pumps (turbomolecular pumps). Mechanical pumps are used to pump from atmospheric pressure to a rough vacuum (<10 Pa), while molecular pumps are used to pump from a rough vacuum to a high vacuum (<10 Pa). -4 Pa. The start / stop of mechanical pumps and molecular pumps is controlled by the PLC's digital output channel via contactors or solid-state relays.

[0078] (5) Water cooling system: including water chiller (water chiller unit) and its circulating water pump. The start / stop of the water chiller is controlled by the digital output of the PLC, and its temperature setting can be preset on the water chiller panel or remotely set by the PLC through the communication interface.

[0079] (v) Human-Machine Interface Module. The human-machine interface module provides operators with a graphical interface for interacting with the system. In this embodiment, the human-machine interface module is preferably a monitoring computer based on Siemens WinCC (Windows Control Center) configuration software. WinCC runs on an industrial-grade monitoring computer and communicates with the PLC via PROFINET industrial Ethernet.

[0080] The main functions of the human-computer interaction interface include:

[0081] (1) Parameter setting interface: allows operators to set control parameters such as neutron output target value, adjustment step size, upper and lower limits, and stabilization waiting time for each parameter.

[0082] (2) Process monitoring interface: All operating parameters such as neutron yield, vacuum degree, power, voltage, current, flow rate, and water cooling temperature are displayed in real time through dashboards, trend curves, and digital displays.

[0083] (3) Status indicator interface: The system currently operates in a graphical manner, such as self-testing, startup, plasma ignition, adjustment, stable operation, and fault alarm.

[0084] (4) Alarm Management Interface: Displays system alarm information in real time, including alarm occurrence time, alarm type, alarm level and handling suggestions, and supports querying and exporting historical alarm records.

[0085] (5) Data recording and export interface: Supports the recording, storage and export of historical data of key operating parameters, which facilitates subsequent data analysis and system optimization.

[0086] Example 2: System Self-Test and Secure Boot Sequence. (Refer to...) Figure 2 This embodiment describes in detail the specific implementation process of the system self-test and secure startup sequence of the present invention.

[0087] After the system is powered on, the operator clicks the "System Start" button on the WinCC human-machine interface. After receiving the start command, the PLC automatically executes the following start sequence according to the preset order:

[0088] (I) Water Cooling System Start-up and Verification. The PLC first issues a water chiller start-up command through the digital output channel to start the cooling water circulation system. After the water chiller starts, the PLC enters the water cooling system status verification stage, which specifically includes:

[0089] (1) Temperature verification: The PLC reads the cooling water temperature signal fed back by the PT100 temperature sensor through the analog input channel to determine whether the temperature is within the preset allowable range. In this embodiment, the preset range is 25℃ to 35℃. If the temperature is lower than 25℃, the PLC will wait for the water chiller to heat up to the allowable temperature; if the temperature is higher than 35℃, the PLC will issue a temperature abnormality alarm and terminate the startup process.

[0090] (2) Flow rate verification: The PLC reads the cooling water flow signal fed back by the flow sensor through the analog input channel to determine whether the flow rate is within the preset allowable range. In this embodiment, the preset range is 1 m / s to 2 m / s. If the flow rate is lower than 1 m / s, it indicates that there may be problems such as pipe blockage, water pump failure or insufficient cooling water. The PLC will issue a flow abnormality alarm and terminate the startup process.

[0091] After the temperature and flow rate of the water cooling system are verified to be normal, the PLC confirms that the water cooling system is in normal condition and proceeds to the next startup stage.

[0092] (II) Establishment of rough vacuum. The PLC starts the mechanical pump through the digital output channel to begin evacuating the vacuum chamber. During the operation of the mechanical pump, the PLC continuously reads the vacuum level value through the Pirani gauge to monitor the trend of vacuum level changes.

[0093] When the vacuum level drops below 10 Pa, the preset rough vacuum value, the PLC determines that the rough vacuum has been established and proceeds to the next startup stage. If the vacuum level still does not drop below 10 Pa after the mechanical pump has been running continuously for more than 30 minutes (the preset time threshold), the PLC will trigger the timeout protection: issuing a "rough vacuum establishment timeout" alarm and automatically stopping the mechanical pump, terminating the startup process. This timeout protection mechanism can effectively avoid indefinite waiting caused by vacuum system leaks or mechanical pump failures.

[0094] (III) High Vacuum Establishment. After the rough vacuum conditions are met, the PLC starts the molecular pump through the digital output channel. After the molecular pump starts, the PLC continuously reads the vacuum level value of the high vacuum section through the cold cathode ionization meter.

[0095] When the vacuum level drops below 10 -4When the high vacuum preset value (Pa) is reached, the PLC determines that the high vacuum has been established and the system enters the ignition standby state. If the vacuum level does not drop to 10 after the molecular pump has been running continuously for more than 60 minutes, the system will remain in a standby state. -4 When the pressure is below Pa, the PLC will trigger the timeout protection: issue a "high vacuum establishment timeout" alarm, and sequentially stop the molecular pump and mechanical pump, terminating the startup process.

[0096] Strictly meeting high vacuum conditions is a necessary prerequisite for the successful ignition and stable operation of ECR ​​plasma. Under high vacuum conditions, the collision frequency of residual gas molecules is significantly reduced, which can effectively reduce impurities and energy loss in the plasma, and improve neutron yield and operational stability.

[0097] (iv) Status feedback during startup. Throughout the self-test and safe startup sequence, the PLC uploads the current startup stage and status information of each subsystem to the WinCC human-machine interface in real time for operators to monitor. If any abnormality or timeout occurs in any step, the PLC will display clear fault information on the human-machine interface and execute corresponding protection actions according to the fault level.

[0098] Example 3: Plasma Ignition and Initial Parameter Setting. (Refer to...) Figure 2 This embodiment describes in detail the specific implementation process of plasma ignition and initial parameter setting of the method of the present invention.

[0099] Under high vacuum conditions, i.e., <10 -4 Once the Pa condition is met, the PLC automatically enters the plasma ignition preparation stage. The PLC sets various operating parameters through the execution module according to the preset initial parameter values:

[0100] (1) Microwave power: The PLC sends a power setting signal to the microwave power source through the analog output channel to set the microwave power to the initial value of 500W.

[0101] (2) High voltage: The PLC sends a voltage setting signal to the high voltage power supply through the analog output channel to set the high voltage to the initial value of 20kV.

[0102] (3) Beam current: The PLC adjusts the extraction system parameters of the ion source, such as the extraction electrode voltage or the focusing magnetic field strength, through the analog output channel, and sets the beam current to the initial value of 100mA. It should be noted that the actual value of the beam current is fed back to the PLC in real time by the current sampling signal in the high-voltage circuit.

[0103] (4) Gas flow rate: The PLC sends a flow rate setting signal to the mass flow controller through the analog output channel to set the inlet flow rate to the initial value of 10 sccm. The working gas is usually hydrogen, deuterium or helium, and the specific type is determined according to the application requirements of the neutron source.

[0104] After the initial parameters are set, the PLC issues a plasma ignition command: First, the microwave power source is turned on to feed microwave power into the resonant cavity of the ECR ion source; after the microwave power is established, the PLC controls the high-voltage power supply to slowly increase the output voltage to the set value. Under the action of the strong electric field, the trace residual gas in the cavity undergoes breakdown discharge to form the initial plasma; once the plasma is formed, it begins to absorb microwave energy and further ionize, eventually establishing a stable ECR plasma discharge.

[0105] During plasma ignition, the PLC monitors the following key indicators in real time to determine whether ignition is successful:

[0106] (1) Reflected power: The reflected power of microwaves is monitored by a directional coupler. If the plasma is successfully ignited, the microwave power will be effectively absorbed by the plasma, and the reflected power should drop significantly to below 20% of the forward power. If the reflected power remains high, exceeding 50% of the forward power, it indicates that the plasma has failed to be established or that the impedance matching is severely mismatched. The PLC will determine that the ignition has failed and will try again.

[0107] (2) Beam current: Monitor whether the beam current in the high-voltage circuit reaches the preset value. If the beam current is close to zero, it indicates that no ions are effectively extracted and the plasma may not have been successfully established.

[0108] (3) Neutron yield: Preliminary monitoring shows whether the neutron detector count is significantly higher than the background level. If the neutron yield does not increase significantly after microwave and high voltage are turned on, it indicates that plasma ignition may not have been successful or the parameters may have deviated significantly from the optimal operating point.

[0109] If plasma ignition fails, the PLC will attempt to re-ignite according to a preset retry strategy: first, shut down the high voltage and microwave, wait a few seconds, and then try to ignite again with the initial parameters. If three consecutive attempts fail, the PLC will issue a "plasma ignition failed" alarm and terminate the startup process, awaiting operator intervention for troubleshooting.

[0110] After the plasma is successfully ignited and initially stabilized, the system enters the main control loop and begins to execute intelligent regulation based on neutron yield feedback.

[0111] Example 4: Detailed Implementation of the Four-Level Progressive Intelligent Adjustment Algorithm. (Refer to...) Figure 3 This embodiment details the specific implementation process of the core four-level progressive intelligent adjustment algorithm of the present invention.

[0112] (I) Physical Basis of Algorithm Design. The design of the four-level progressive intelligent adjustment algorithm is based on an in-depth analysis of the physical mechanism of ECR ​​plasma. In the ECR ion source, the neutron yield Y can be expressed as a function of the following physical quantities:

[0113] Y = η·I_b·σ(E)·n_t·L;

[0114] Where η is the detection efficiency, I_b is the beam current, σ(E) is the cross section of the target nuclear reaction (a function of ion energy E), n_t is the atomic density of the target, and L is the effective target thickness.

[0115] From the above relationships, it can be seen that the factors affecting neutron yield can be ranked in order of physical importance as follows: (1) Ion energy E - directly determined by high voltage, which has an exponential effect on yield through nuclear reaction cross section σ(E); (2) Beam intensity I_b - determines the total number of ions participating in nuclear reaction, which has a linear effect on yield; (3) Plasma state (electron temperature, density, etc.) - jointly determined by microwave power and gas flow rate, which indirectly affects yield by affecting ion generation and extraction efficiency.

[0116] Based on this physical analysis, this invention creatively establishes a priority adjustment sequence for high voltage → beam current → microwave power → gas flow rate. This sequence ensures that, during the adjustment process, the more fundamental physical factors that have a more significant impact on yield are adjusted first, thereby avoiding control oscillation problems caused by mutual coupling when multiple parameters are adjusted simultaneously.

[0117] (II) Algorithm Flow. After successful plasma ignition, the system enters the main control loop. The PLC reads the neutron yield signal in real time through the neutron yield monitoring module and compares its real-time value with the preset target value (in this embodiment, the preset target value is 1.0 × 10⁻⁶). 8 Compare (n / s).

[0118] If the current neutron yield signal has reached the target range defined by the preset target value (e.g., ±5% of the target value), the system will maintain the current parameters unchanged and continue monitoring until a deviation occurs, at which point adjustment will be triggered again.

[0119] If the current neutron yield signal is lower than the preset target value, the PLC will activate a four-level progressive intelligent adjustment algorithm. The specific execution flow of the algorithm is as follows:

[0120] First-level regulation: High-voltage regulation. The PLC first checks the value of the current regulation state variable Adjust_Step. If Adjust_Step = 0 or 1, it indicates that it is currently in or should enter the first-level regulation stage.

[0121] The PLC checks whether the current high voltage has reached the preset upper limit, which is 50kV in this embodiment. If the upper limit has been reached, the first-level adjustment is skipped, and the second-level adjustment is directly entered; if the upper limit has not been reached, the PLC increases the high voltage setting value according to the preset first step length. In the basic mode of this embodiment, the first step length is set to 5kV, that is, the high voltage is increased by 5kV each time.

[0122] After the high-voltage adjustment command is issued, the PLC updates the state variable Adjust_Step to 2, indicating that the first-level adjustment has been completed and it is waiting to enter the second level, and then enters the preset stabilization waiting stage. In this embodiment, the stabilization waiting time is set to 30 seconds. This waiting time is set based on the following considerations: Firstly, changes in the high-voltage will affect the transmission and target-hitting process of the ion beam through changes in the accelerating electric field, thereby affecting the neutron yield. This physical process requires a certain relaxation time to reach a new steady state. Secondly, the measurement of neutron yield itself has statistical fluctuations, requiring sufficient integration time to obtain statistically significant data.

[0123] During the 30-second stabilization period, the PLC continuously collects neutron yield data but does not perform any new adjustments. After the wait period ends, the PLC reads the neutron yield signal again and compares it with the preset target value.

[0124] If the neutron yield has reached the target range at this time, the adjustment is successful. The PLC will reset the status variable Adjust_Step to 0, and the system will continue to operate under the current parameter combination and continue to monitor the changes in neutron yield.

[0125] If the neutron yield still has not reached the target range at this time, the PLC will enter the second level of adjustment.

[0126] Second-level adjustment: Beam current adjustment. The PLC checks the value of the status variable Adjust_Step. If Adjust_Step=2, it indicates that the first-level adjustment has been completed but the output target has not been met, and the second-level adjustment should be initiated.

[0127] The PLC checks whether the current beam current has reached the preset upper limit value, which is 1A in this embodiment. If the upper limit has been reached, the second-level adjustment is skipped, and the third-level adjustment is directly entered; if the upper limit has not been reached, the PLC increases the beam current setting value according to the preset second step size. In the basic mode of this embodiment, the second step size is set to 10mA, that is, the beam current is increased by 10mA each time.

[0128] After the beam current adjustment command is issued, the PLC updates the status variable Adjust_Step to 3, and then enters a 30-second stabilization waiting phase.

[0129] After the waiting period ends, the PLC reads the neutron output signal again and compares it with the preset target value. If the output meets the target, the adjustment is successful and the state variable is reset to 0; if the output still does not meet the target, the third-level adjustment is initiated.

[0130] Third-level adjustment: Microwave power adjustment. The PLC checks the value of the status variable Adjust_Step. If Adjust_Step=3, it indicates that the first two levels of adjustment have been completed but the output target has not been met, and the third-level adjustment should be initiated.

[0131] The PLC checks whether the current microwave power has reached the preset upper limit, which is 2000W in this embodiment. If the upper limit has been reached, the third-level adjustment is skipped, and the fourth-level adjustment is directly entered; if the upper limit has not been reached, the PLC increases the microwave power setting value according to the preset third step size. Unlike voltage and current, which use fixed step sizes, microwave power uses a multiplier method in this embodiment, set to 1.1 times the current power value, that is, the microwave power is increased by 10% each time.

[0132] After the microwave power adjustment command is issued, the PLC updates the status variable Adjust_Step to 4, and then enters a 30-second stabilization waiting phase.

[0133] It should be noted that the microwave power adjustment uses a multiplier step size instead of a fixed step size, based on the following considerations: the relationship between microwave power and plasma parameters is closer to linear in a semi-logarithmic coordinate system, and using a multiplier step size can achieve a more uniform adjustment effect. In an alternative embodiment, the third preset step size can also be any value within the range of 1.05 to 1.2 times the current microwave power value.

[0134] After the waiting period ends, the PLC reads the neutron output signal again and compares it with the preset target value. If the output meets the target, the adjustment is successful and the status variable is reset to 0; if the output still does not meet the target, it enters the fourth level of adjustment.

[0135] Fourth-level adjustment: Gas flow rate adjustment. The PLC checks the value of the status variable Adjust_Step. If Adjust_Step=4, it indicates that the first three levels of adjustment have been completed but the output target has not been met, and the fourth-level adjustment should be initiated.

[0136] The PLC checks whether the current gas flow rate has reached the preset upper limit, which is 30 sccm in this embodiment. If the upper limit has been reached, the fourth level of adjustment is skipped; if the upper limit has not been reached, the PLC increases the gas flow rate setting according to the preset fourth step. In the basic mode of this embodiment, the fourth step is set to 0.5 sccm, that is, the gas flow rate is increased by 0.5 sccm each time.

[0137] After the gas flow rate adjustment command is issued, the PLC updates the status variable Adjust_Step to 0, indicating that a complete four-level adjustment cycle has been completed, and then enters a 30-second stabilization waiting phase.

[0138] After the waiting period ends, the PLC reads the neutron output signal again and compares it with the preset target value. If the output meets the target, the adjustment is successful and the state variable remains at 0; if the output still does not meet the target, it means that a complete four-level adjustment cycle has been completed but the output has not been achieved. The PLC will automatically return to the first-level adjustment and start a new round of four-level progressive adjustment cycle.

[0139] (III) Optimal Ranges of Adjustment Parameters at Each Level. In the basic embodiment described above, specific values ​​were used for the step size and stabilization waiting time at each adjustment level. In other embodiments, these parameters can be appropriately adjusted based on factors such as the specific ECR ion source model, target neutron yield level, and type of working gas. The optimal ranges for each parameter are as follows:

[0140] The first preset step size is the high voltage step size: 1kV to 15kV. A smaller step size, such as 1kV, provides high adjustment accuracy but slow convergence speed, suitable for fine adjustment; a larger step size, such as 15kV, provides fast convergence speed but may overshoot, suitable for coarse adjustment.

[0141] The second preset step size is the beam current step size: 2mA to 20mA. Smaller step sizes are suitable for fine adjustment, while larger step sizes are suitable for rapidly increasing output.

[0142] The third preset step size is the microwave power step size: 1.05 to 1.2 times the current power value. The closer the multiplier is to 1, the finer the adjustment; the larger the multiplier, the faster the adjustment speed, but it may cause abrupt changes in the plasma state.

[0143] The fourth preset step size, i.e., the gas flow rate step size, is 0.1 sccm to 1.0 sccm. The gas flow rate is quite sensitive to the plasma density, so the step size should not be too large to avoid causing discharge instability.

[0144] Preset stabilization time: 10 to 60 seconds. The stabilization time needs to be determined comprehensively based on the counting accuracy of the neutron detector and the dynamic response characteristics of the system. When the count rate is low, such as under low yield conditions, a longer integration time is required to obtain sufficient statistical accuracy; when the system dynamic response is slow, such as in a large-volume vacuum chamber, a longer stabilization waiting time is also required.

[0145] (iv) Limiting protection for each parameter. In the four-level progressive intelligent adjustment algorithm, each level of adjustment has an upper limit value for the parameter, and the adjustment action must not exceed the corresponding upper limit. The upper limit values ​​for each parameter are set as follows:

[0146] High voltage limit: 50kV. Exceeding this value may cause insulation breakdown of the high voltage power supply or excessive X-ray radiation dose.

[0147] Beam current limit: 1A. Exceeding this value may cause the ion source extraction system to overheat or the target material to melt.

[0148] Microwave power limit: 2000W. Exceeding this value may damage the microwave window or cause arcing in the resonant cavity.

[0149] Upper limit of gas flow rate: 30 sccm. Exceeding this value may lead to a deterioration of vacuum and affect plasma stability.

[0150] When a parameter reaches its upper limit but the neutron yield still falls short of the target, that level of adjustment is skipped, and the algorithm automatically proceeds to the next level of adjustment. If all parameters have reached their upper limits but the neutron yield still falls short of the target, the PLC issues an "insufficient adjustment capacity" alarm, prompting the operator to check the system status or adjust the target value.

[0151] Example 5: Optimized Implementation of Adaptive Step Size Adjustment. Based on Example 4, this example provides an optimized implementation, namely, adding an adaptive step size adjustment function to the four-level progressive intelligent adjustment algorithm.

[0152] The so-called adaptive step size adjustment refers to the PLC dynamically selecting different adjustment step sizes based on the deviation between the current actual value of neutron production and the preset target value, so as to achieve the optimized control effect of "rapid coarse adjustment when the deviation is large and fine fine adjustment when the deviation is small".

[0153] Specifically, before each adjustment action, the PLC first calculates the relative deviation percentage δ of the neutron yield:

[0154] δ = |Y_target - Y_actual| / Y_target × 100%

[0155] Where Y_target is the preset target value, and Y_actual is the current actual measurement value.

[0156] Based on the value of δ, the PLC selects different step size levels:

[0157] (1) When δ > 50%, i.e. large deviation: use large step size for rapid coarse adjustment. Set the high voltage step size to 15kV, the beam current step size to 20mA, the microwave power multiplier to 1.2 times, i.e. 20% increase, and the gas flow rate step size to 1.0sccm.

[0158] (2) When 20% < δ ≤ 50%, the deviation is moderate: standard step size is used for routine adjustment. The high voltage step size is set to 5kV, the beam current step size is set to 10mA, the microwave power factor is set to 1.1 times, i.e., a 10% increase, and the gas flow rate step size is set to 0.5sccm.

[0159] (3) When δ ≤ 20%, i.e., small deviation: fine adjustment is performed using small step size. The high voltage step size is set to 1kV, the beam current step size is set to 2mA, the microwave power factor is set to 1.05 times, i.e., an increase of 5%, and the gas flow rate step size is set to 0.1sccm.

[0160] The advantages of adaptive step size adjustment are: in the early stages of system startup, when the neutron yield is far below the target value and there is a large deviation, large step size adjustment can quickly increase the yield to near the target value, significantly shortening the adjustment time; when the yield is close to the target value, small step size adjustment can avoid overshoot and oscillation, ensuring that the system converges smoothly to the target range and improving the final control accuracy.

[0161] In this embodiment, the adaptive step size decision is performed at the entry point of each adjustment level. That is, after the PLC determines the current adjustment level but before issuing a specific adjustment command, the deviation percentage is calculated and an appropriate step size is selected. Different adjustment levels can independently select their own step size levels.

[0162] Example 6: Detailed Implementation of Fully Automatic Safety Protection Logic. (Refer to...) Figure 4 This embodiment describes in detail the specific implementation process of the fully automatic security protection and monitoring of the present invention.

[0163] The fully automatic safety protection and monitoring system, as a parallel task independent of the main control process, runs continuously throughout the entire operating cycle after system startup. The PLC reads the status of all safety monitoring points in real time through a cyclic scanning method, with a scanning cycle typically ranging from 10 to 100 ms. Once the trigger condition is met, the corresponding protection action is executed immediately without waiting for intervention from the main control process.

[0164] (I) Security Monitoring Points and Triggering Conditions. The security monitoring points and their triggering conditions set in this embodiment include the following seven categories:

[0165] (1) Vacuum monitoring: The PLC reads the vacuum level value fed back by the cold cathode ionization meter in real time. When the vacuum level is higher than 10... - 4 Pa, or vacuum deterioration, is triggered when the pressure rises above the preset high vacuum threshold, causing vacuum protection to fail. Vacuum deterioration can be caused by factors such as vacuum system leaks, excessive air intake, or molecular pump malfunction.

[0166] (2) Emergency stop button monitoring: The PLC monitors the status of multiple emergency stop buttons installed on the control panel and field operator station in real time through digital input channels. When any emergency stop button is pressed, the emergency stop protection is immediately triggered.

[0167] (3) High voltage monitoring: The PLC reads the voltage value fed back by the high voltage divider in real time. When the high voltage exceeds 50kV, 50kV is the preset voltage limit, triggering overvoltage protection.

[0168] (4) Beam current monitoring: The PLC reads the current sampling signal in the high-voltage circuit in real time. When the beam current exceeds 1A, i.e. the preset current limit, the overcurrent protection is triggered.

[0169] (5) Microwave power monitoring: The PLC reads the forward power value fed back by the directional coupler in real time. When the microwave power exceeds 2000W, i.e. the preset power limit, the overpower protection is triggered.

[0170] (6) Water cooling system temperature monitoring: The PLC reads the cooling water temperature fed back by the PT100 temperature sensor in real time. When the temperature exceeds 35℃ or falls below 25℃, exceeding the preset temperature range, the water temperature abnormality protection is triggered.

[0171] (7) Water cooling system flow rate monitoring: The PLC reads the cooling water flow rate fed back by the flow sensor in real time. When the flow rate is lower than 1m / s, i.e. lower than the preset lower limit of flow rate, the water flow abnormality protection is triggered.

[0172] (II) Execution Logic of Protection Actions. Depending on the nature and severity of the triggering conditions, the PLC executes different levels of protection actions:

[0173] Level 1: Alarm warning, applicable to situations where there is a slight deviation but does not yet constitute an emergency danger;

[0174] When the monitored parameters deviate slightly but do not reach the emergency threshold, such as a water temperature slightly above 35℃ but below 38℃, the PLC will first issue a yellow warning signal on the human-machine interface to alert the operator, but will not shut down the equipment. The warning information includes the alarm type, current value, and time of occurrence.

[0175] Level 2: Safe shutdown, applicable to situations where parameters deviate significantly but there is still some buffer time;

[0176] When the monitored parameters exceed the emergency threshold, for example, when the vacuum level is higher than 10... -4 When the pressure or water temperature exceeds 38℃, the PLC executes a safety shutdown sequence.

[0177] (1) Immediately cut off the remote enable signal of the high voltage power supply through digital output and shut off the high voltage output;

[0178] (2) Immediately turn off the microwave power source via digital output to stop microwave feeding;

[0179] (3) Keeping the vacuum pump unit running and maintaining the vacuum environment is beneficial for equipment protection;

[0180] (4) Keep the water cooling system running to continue removing waste heat from the equipment;

[0181] (5) Issue a red fault alarm on the human-computer interaction interface and record the fault type and timestamp;

[0182] (6) Switch the system status to "fault shutdown" and prohibit any automatic restart operation until the operator confirms that the fault has been eliminated and then manually resets it.

[0183] Level 3: Emergency Stop. This is applicable to emergency situations that may cause serious safety accidents. When the emergency stop button is pressed, the PLC executes the highest priority emergency stop.

[0184] (1) Immediately disconnect all power outputs, including high-voltage power supply, microwave power source, and power supply for all pump groups;

[0185] (2) Immediately shut off the drive signals of all actuators;

[0186] (3) In the shortest possible time, the measured response time in this embodiment is less than 1 second, which enables the system to enter a safe state of complete power failure.

[0187] (4) Issue an emergency alarm for “emergency stop trigger” on the human-computer interaction interface and record the event.

[0188] (III) Parallel Execution Mechanism of Safety Protection Logic. The fully automatic safety protection logic is implemented in the PLC through interrupt programs or high-priority organization blocks (OBs) independent of the main program loop. Specifically, the Siemens S7-1214C PLC provides cyclic interrupt organization blocks (OB30~OB38), which can be triggered at fixed time intervals of 100ms. The safety protection logic is placed in the cyclic interrupt OBs, ensuring that it executes at a higher priority than the main program OB1, unaffected by the main program loop cycle.

[0189] This parallel execution mechanism ensures that even during the execution of a complex four-level progressive adjustment algorithm in the main control flow, the safety protection monitoring can continue to run at a fixed high frequency, ensuring that any safety triggering conditions can be detected and responded to in the shortest possible time.

[0190] (iv) Restoration of safety protection actions. After a safety shutdown or emergency shutdown is triggered, the system enters a fault-locked state and will not automatically resume operation. After troubleshooting and eliminating the cause of the fault, the operator needs to manually click the "Fault Reset" button on the human-machine interface to clear the fault state, and then click the "System Startup" button again. The system will then re-execute the complete self-test and safety startup sequence.

[0191] Example 7: Comprehensive Implementation of the Overall System Operation Flow. The following is a comprehensive explanation of the overall operation flow of the present invention, using a complete operational example.

[0192] Operating scenario: A certain ECR ion source neutron generator needs to conduct a neutron irradiation experiment with a target neutron yield of 1.0 × 10⁻⁶. 8 n / s, the experiment requires the output to be stable within ±5% of the target value.

[0193] Phase 1: System startup, t=0~8 minutes; Operators set the target output value to 1.0×10 on the WinCC interface. 8 After confirming the upper and lower limits of each parameter (n / s), click the "System Startup" button.

[0194] The PLC automatically executed the startup sequence: The water chiller was started, and after 2 minutes the temperature stabilized at 28℃ and the flow rate at 1.5 m / s, verification passed; the mechanical pump was started, and after 4 minutes the vacuum level dropped to 8 Pa, establishing a rough vacuum; the molecular pump was started, and after 2 minutes the vacuum level dropped to 8 × 10⁻⁶ Pa. -5 High vacuum is established at Pa. The entire startup phase takes approximately 8 minutes and is completed automatically without human intervention.

[0195] Phase Two: Plasma ignition, t=8-9 minutes; the PLC automatically sets initial parameters: microwave power 500W, high voltage 20kV, beam current 100mA, gas flow rate 10sccm, and then issues an ignition command. Approximately 30 seconds later, the reflected power decreases from the initial 80W to 15W, the beam current rises to 95mA, and the neutron detector begins to show counts above background, indicating successful plasma ignition.

[0196] Phase 3: Intelligent adjustment, t=9~12 minutes; PLC reads current neutron yield as approximately 2.5×10 7 n / s, far below the target value of 1.0 × 10 8 n / s, deviation 75%, triggering a four-level progressive intelligent adjustment algorithm.

[0197] First-level adjustment: Current high voltage is 20kV, upper limit is 50kV. Using a large step size (deviation > 50%), with a step size of 15kV, increase the high voltage to 35kV. After waiting 30 seconds, read the output value as approximately 5.0 × 10⁻⁶. 7n / s, still not up to standard.

[0198] Second-stage adjustment: Current beam current 100mA, upper limit 1A, using large step size of 20mA, increase current to 120mA, wait 30 seconds and read yield approximately 6.5×10 7 n / s, still not up to standard.

[0199] Third-level adjustment: Current microwave power is 500W, upper limit is 2000W. Using a large step size and a multiplier of 1.2, increase the power to 600W. After waiting 30 seconds, read the output as approximately 8.0 × 10⁻⁶. 7 n / s is still below the standard, but the deviation has been reduced to 20%.

[0200] Fourth-level adjustment: Current gas flow rate is 10 sccm, upper limit is 30 sccm. Use a standard step size of 0.5 sccm to increase the flow rate to 10.5 sccm. After waiting for 30 seconds, read the yield as approximately 8.5 × 10⁻⁶. 7 n / s, still not up to standard.

[0201] After the first cycle ends, return to the first-level adjustment to begin the second cycle. At this point, the deviation is less than 20% (15%), and the system enters the small-step fine adjustment mode.

[0202] The second round, first stage: The high voltage is increased from 35kV to 36kV in 1kV increments. After a 30-second wait, the output is approximately 9.2 × 10⁻⁶ kV. 7 n / s, deviation 8%.

[0203] Second round, second stage: The beam current is increased from 120mA to 122mA in 2mA increments, and after a 30-second wait, the yield is approximately 9.6 × 10⁻⁶. 7 n / s, deviation 4%, entering the target range 1.0×10 8 ±5% is equivalent to 0.95 × 10 8 ~1.05×10 8 .

[0204] Adjustment successful! The PLC resets the state variables to 0, and the system enters a stable operating state, continuously monitoring neutron yield. The entire adjustment process from ignition to stable operation took approximately 3 minutes.

[0205] Phase Four: Stable Operation and Automatic Compensation, after t=12 minutes; After the system enters stable operation, the PLC continuously collects neutron yield data at a 1-second cycle. If the yield slowly decreases below the lower limit of the target range due to reasons such as equipment temperature drift, the PLC will automatically trigger the four-level progressive adjustment algorithm again without manual intervention.

[0206] Phase Five: Safety Protection in Abnormal Situations. Assume that during operation, a cooling water circulation pump malfunction causes the water flow rate to drop to 0.8 m / s, below the lower limit of 1 m / s. The PLC's safety protection interrupt program detects this anomaly within the next 100ms scan cycle and immediately executes a safety shutdown: cutting off the high voltage and microwave, while maintaining vacuum and water cooling operation. Although the water cooling flow is insufficient, it continues to circulate, triggering a "Water Cooling Flow Abnormality" alarm. After seeing the alarm, the operator troubleshoots the problem, repairs it, manually resets, and restarts the system.

[0207] Example 8: Electronic Device and Computer-Readable Storage Medium. The present invention also provides an embodiment of an electronic device and a computer-readable storage medium.

[0208] Electronic device embodiment: An electronic device includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the program, it performs all the steps of the method as described in the first aspect of the present invention.

[0209] Specifically, the electronic device can be an industrial control computer, an embedded industrial control computer, or a server. The processor can be an x86 architecture CPU, an ARM architecture processor, or the central processing unit of a PLC. The memory can be DDR RAM, Flash memory, a solid-state drive, or a hard disk drive. The computer program is written in ladder diagrams, structured text, C language, or Python language, compiled, stored in memory, and loaded and executed by the processor.

[0210] Computer-readable storage medium embodiment: A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, implements all the steps of the method as described in the first aspect of the present invention.

[0211] Specifically, the computer-readable storage medium can be any medium capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, external hard drive, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk, or optical disk. The control program stored in the storage medium contains all the program code for the system self-test and safe boot sequence, the four-level progressive intelligent adjustment algorithm, and the fully automatic security protection logic.

[0212] Experimental Verification: To verify the technical effect of this invention, the applicant conducted comparative tests on the same ECR ion source neutron generator using both the traditional manual adjustment method and the intelligent adjustment method of this invention. The following comparative results were obtained through analysis of the system operation logs:

[0213] Startup to stabilization time Approximately 20 minutes Approximately 3 minutes Reduce by 85% Neutron production stability ±28% ±4.5% Increased by 84% Operator requirements Senior Expert General technicians Significantly reduced Security response time Human response time (in seconds) <1 second automatic response Order of magnitude increase

[0214] The above experimental data fully demonstrate the significant advantages of this invention in terms of regulation efficiency, output stability, ease of operation, and system security.

[0215] The above specific embodiments are merely several optional embodiments of the present invention. Based on the technical solutions of the present invention and the relevant teachings of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can make various alternative improvements and combinations to the above specific embodiments.

Claims

1. A method for intelligent coordinated control of multiple parameters of an ECR ion source based on neutron yield feedback, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Execute the system self-test and safe startup sequence, automatically start multiple subsystems in a preset order, and verify whether the operating status of each subsystem meets the preset operating conditions; S2. After the preset operating conditions are met, the initial operating parameters of the ECR ion source are automatically set and the plasma is ignited. S3. Real-time acquisition of the neutron yield signal of the ECR ion source; S4. Compare the neutron yield signal with a preset target value. If the neutron yield signal is lower than the preset target value, execute a four-level progressive intelligent adjustment algorithm. The algorithm adjusts the high voltage, beam current, microwave power and gas flow rate in a preset priority order. After each adjustment is completed, wait for a preset stabilization time, and then determine whether the neutron yield signal has reached the preset target value. If not, proceed to the next adjustment level until the neutron yield signal reaches and is maintained within the target range defined by the preset target value. S5. Throughout steps S1 to S4, fully automatic safety protection and monitoring are performed in parallel, the system operating parameters are monitored in real time, and protection actions are triggered when the operating parameters exceed the corresponding thresholds.

2. The method for intelligent coordinated control of multiple parameters of an ECR ion source based on neutron yield feedback according to claim 1, characterized in that, The four-level progressive intelligent adjustment algorithm described in step S4 specifically includes: The first-stage regulation uses the high voltage as the controlled parameter and increases the high voltage by a first preset step size. If the neutron yield signal still fails to reach the preset target value after the first stage of adjustment, the second stage of adjustment is entered, and the beam current is increased by a second preset step size, with the beam current as the controlled parameter. If the neutron yield signal still fails to reach the preset target value after the second-level adjustment, the third-level adjustment is entered, and the microwave power is increased by a third preset step size, with microwave power as the controlled parameter. If the neutron yield signal still fails to reach the preset target value after the third-level adjustment, then the fourth-level adjustment is entered, and the gas flow rate is increased by a fourth preset step size, with the gas flow rate as the controlled parameter. If the neutron yield signal still fails to reach the preset target value after the fourth level of adjustment, then return to the first level of adjustment to start a new cycle.

3. The method for intelligent coordinated control of multiple parameters of an ECR ion source based on neutron yield feedback according to claim 2, characterized in that, The preset stabilization time for each of the first-level adjustment, second-level adjustment, third-level adjustment, and fourth-level adjustment is 10 seconds to 60 seconds. The first preset step size is 1kV to 15kV, the second preset step size is 2mA to 20mA, the third preset step size is 1.05 times to 1.2 times the current microwave power value, and the fourth preset step size is 0.1sccm to 1.0sccm.

4. The method for intelligent coordinated control of multiple parameters of an ECR ion source based on neutron yield feedback according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step S4 further includes: adaptively adjusting the adjustment step size of the current stage of adjustment according to the deviation between the neutron yield signal and the preset target value, wherein the larger the deviation, the larger the adjustment step size, and the smaller the deviation, the smaller the adjustment step size.

5. The method for intelligent coordinated control of multiple parameters of an ECR ion source based on neutron yield feedback according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system self-test and secure boot sequence described in step S1 includes: Start the water cooling system sequentially and verify that its temperature and flow rate are within the preset range; Start the mechanical pump to evacuate the vacuum chamber and monitor whether the vacuum level has reached the preset rough vacuum value; After the rough vacuum preset value is met, the molecular pump is started, the vacuum level is monitored to see if the high vacuum preset value is reached, and the time taken from start-up to reaching the high vacuum preset value is recorded. If the time taken exceeds the preset time threshold, the timeout protection is triggered.

6. The method for intelligent coordinated control of multiple parameters of an ECR ion source based on neutron yield feedback according to claim 1, characterized in that, The triggering conditions for the fully automatic safety protection monitoring described in step S5 include at least one of the following: The vacuum level is higher than the preset high vacuum threshold. The emergency stop button was triggered; The high voltage exceeds the preset voltage limit. The beam current exceeds the preset current limit; Microwave power exceeds the preset power limit; The temperature of the water cooling system exceeds the preset temperature range or the flow rate is lower than the preset lower limit.

7. A multi-parameter intelligent collaborative control system for an ECR ion source based on neutron yield feedback for implementing the method of any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, include: The neutron yield monitoring module is used to collect the neutron yield signal of the ECR ion source in real time; The multi-parameter acquisition module is used to acquire system operating parameters, including vacuum level, water cooling system status parameters, microwave power, high voltage, beam current and gas flow rate. The intelligent control module is communicatively connected to the neutron yield monitoring module and the multi-parameter acquisition module, respectively. The intelligent control module has a built-in control program for executing the system self-test and safety start sequence, the four-level progressive intelligent adjustment algorithm, and the fully automatic safety protection logic. An execution module, connected to the intelligent control module, is used to receive control commands from the intelligent control module to drive the microwave power source, high-voltage power supply, gas flow controller and vacuum pump group to perform corresponding actions respectively. The human-computer interaction module is communicatively connected to the intelligent control module and is used for operators to set parameters, monitor system status, and display data.

8. The intelligent collaborative control system for multiple parameters of an ECR ion source based on neutron yield feedback according to claim 7, characterized in that, The intelligent control module is a programmable logic controller, and the human-machine interaction module is a monitoring computer based on industrial control configuration software; The programmable logic controller records the current adjustment level through its internally maintained state variables, and resets the state variables when a complete four-level adjustment cycle is completed or when the neutron yield signal reaches the preset target value.

9. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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