Insulated Electrostatic Accelerator With SF6 Breakdown Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrostatic particle accelerators face challenges in achieving compact design while generating high-energy, high-current ion beams with stability, and they are prone to electrical breakdown in gases and solids.
Innovation Solution
A motor-driven insulated electrostatic particle accelerator with a modular design, featuring a pressure vessel filled with sulfur hexafluoride gas, axially compact alternators, and a system of electrodes and magnets to suppress secondary electrons, along with a circulator for gas pumping and a modular design allowing easy maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the accelerator is operated within a pressure vessel pumped full of insulating gas to prevent electrical breakdown, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas as an insulating medium within the pressure vessel to prevent electrical breakdown. The SF6 gas creates an inert environment that suppresses electrical discharge between electrodes, allowing high-voltage operation without arcing or breakdown, thus improving reliability while containing the complexity within a manageable pressure vessel enclosure.
2Ease of repair
If a modular design with multiple tube segments and stage assemblies is used, then ease of repair is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The accelerator is divided into discrete modular components including multiple tube segments (first tube segment, second tube segment) and stage assemblies (first stage assembly, second stage assembly) that can be independently removed and replaced. Each tube segment contains specific electrodes and the alternator is separable from the pressure vessel, enabling targeted maintenance and repair of individual modules without disassembling the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular design incorporates movable and reconfigurable components such as the alternator that can be removed from the pressure vessel for servicing, and tube segments that can be independently accessed. This dynamic modularity allows the system to be maintained in stages, with faulty modules replaced while others continue to function or are prepared for replacement.
3Length of moving object
If axially compact alternators are used to reduce accelerator length, then length of moving object is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The alternator is designed with an axial flux configuration that generates magnetic fields and electrical power in the axial direction rather than requiring extensive radial or longitudinal development. This dimensional reorientation allows compact packaging along the beam axis while concentrating the alternator's functional elements (magnets, windings, core) in a compact axial arrangement that reduces overall accelerator length.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables a compact, stable particle accelerator capable of generating high-energy ion beams with high current, reducing the risk of electrical breakdown and facilitating easy maintenance and customization.
Implementation Method 1
The motor can be external to the pressure vessel and magnetically coupled to the common drive shaft
Implementation Method 2
a circulator configured to pump high pressure gas into the pressure vessel
Implementation Method 3
a magnet assembly including a plurality of permanent magnets
Data Source
AI summary
According to some embodiments, an electrostatic particle accelerator may include an assembly having a motor and support plate; an acceleration tube; one or more stage assemblies each having an alternator coupled to a common drive shaft, a power supply coupled to one of the plurality of electrodes, and an opening to receive a portion of the acceleration tube; a pressure vessel configured to enclose the acceleration tube when the pressure vessel is fastened to the support plate; and a circulator configured to pump high pressure gas into the pressure vessel. The acceleration tube can include an ion source, an extraction assembly, and a plurality of tube segments each having a plurality of electrodes and one or more power connectors attached to one of the electrodes.