Neutron Generator With Central Electrode Bore
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional neutron generators require high supply voltages, leading to increased costs for high-voltage electrical equipment and insulation, and suffer from energy losses due to deceleration in heavy materials, reducing their efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A compact neutron generator design featuring a vacuum container with ion sources at both ends, a central high-voltage electrode with a bore, and guide capillaries to focus and collide ion beams, reducing the need for high voltages and minimizing energy losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If conventional high-voltage ion generators are used to generate neutrons, then neutron generation is achieved, but the supply voltage requirement is very high leading to increased costs for high-voltage electrical equipment and insulation
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into two separate ion sources positioned at opposite ends of the vacuum chamber, each generating ion beams that travel toward the center. This segmentation allows each ion source to operate at lower voltage while collectively achieving the required collision energy through the interaction of two beams
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of accelerating ions from a single source through a long high-voltage path, the invention inverts the approach by having two sources accelerate ions over shorter distances toward a central collision region. The total energy is achieved by combining the kinetic energies of two beams rather than accelerating one beam through a proportionally longer path
2Power
If solid tritium-impregnated titanium hydride targets on thin silver foils are used, then fusion reactions can occur, but a significant portion of incident projectile energy is lost due to deceleration in the heavy titanium
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the heavy titanium target material from the system, replacing it with a gaseous or vaporized tritium environment in the collision chamber. This eliminates the energy loss associated with decelerating ions through the dense titanium lattice while maintaining the tritium target necessary for fusion reactions
Solution Approach 2:
The target material is changed from solid titanium hydride to gaseous or vaporized tritium, fundamentally altering the physical state and density parameters. This parameter change reduces the deceleration effect on incident ions while preserving the nuclear reaction capability
3Power
If circularly accelerated ions are used, then neutron generation is achieved, but heavy magnets and RF oscillators are required increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical circular acceleration system using magnets and RF oscillators is replaced with a linear electrostatic acceleration system. Ions are accelerated in straight lines through electrostatic fields from two opposing sources, eliminating the need for complex magnetic confinement and RF heating systems while achieving the required collision energies
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 design achieves a high neutron yield with lower high-voltage requirements, reducing component costs and energy losses, while maintaining a compact and efficient neutron generation process.
Implementation Method 1
ions emitted from a respective ion source at the first or second end fly through the at least one bore of the central high-voltage electrode and, before reaching the opposite end, reverse their direction of flight due to the action of the central high-voltage electrode
Implementation Method 2
The positive high voltage ignites a plasma discharge with field ionization in the respective capillary or upstream
Implementation Method 3
The extraction cathode generates an ion beam from the capillary, which contains a large proportion of positive atomic ions
Implementation Method 4
Fusion reactions are often used to generate neutrons. The deuteron-tritium reaction is very important here, but deuteron-deuteron or tritium-tritium reactions are also used
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a neutron generator having a vacuum container with a first end and a second end; at least one ion source at the first end and/or the second end, said ion source comprising a gas inlet, an ion outlet, an anode, and an extraction cathode; and a central high-voltage electrode, wherein the ion outlet is designed in the form of a capillary, the extraction cathode is arranged downstream of the ion outlet in order to extract ions from the ion outlet, the central high-voltage electrode is arranged between the first end and the second end of the vacuum container and has at least one bore, and the central high-voltage electrode is arranged between the first end and the second end such that ions dispensed at the first or second end from the ion source in question pass through the at least one bore of the central high-voltage electrode, the course of the ions is reversed under the effect of the central high-voltage electrode prior to reaching the opposite end, and the ions can collide with ions from the ion source in question.