Preliminary Assessment of Radiolysis for the Cooling Water System in the Rotating Target of {SORGENTINA}-{RF}

The SORGENTINA-RF project aims at developing a 14 MeV fusion neutron source featuring an emission rate in the order of 5-7 x 10(13) s(-1). The plant relies on a metallic water-cooled rotating target and a deuterium (50%) and tritium (50%) ion beam. Beyond the main focus of medical radioisotope production, the source may represent a multi-purpose neutron facility by implementing a series of neutron-based techniques. Among the different engineering and technological issues to be addressed, the production of incondensable gases and corrosion product into the rotating target deserves a dedicated investigation. In this study, a preliminary analysis is carried out, considering the general layout of the target and the present choice of the target material

Mechanical Behaviour of the Rotating Target SORGENTINA-RF

The SORGENTINA-RF project aims at developing a 14 MeV neutron source based on a deuterium/tritium ion accelerator and a rotating target where fusion reactions take place. Among the different research fields, the most interesting and promising is medical radioisotope production. In this framework, intense research work on the design of the rotating target has been carried out. More in detail, to define the optimal design configuration, a sensitivity analysis on the mechanical performance of the rotating target considering the influence of some relevant parameters, such as material type, thickness, and presence of internal stiffeners, was carried out. Among the materials analyzed, aluminium alloy represents the best compromise to efficiently address all the critical requirements in the design phase. One of the most demanding project requirements that the conceptual design must fulfill is the ability of the target to dissipate a thermal power of 250 kW without precluding its mechanical properties and resistance. To investigate the performance of the rotating target, some thermo-mechanical analyses were undertaken with finite element method under some thermal transients and mechanical loads able to simulate the working conditions of the system. The numerical results emphasise the target’s ability to withstand operating conditions. The main outcomes of the present study have been implemented as engineering solutions in the project design

Preliminary Assessment of Radiolysis for the Cooling Water System in the Rotating Target of SORGENTINA-RF

The SORGENTINA-RF project aims at developing a 14 MeV fusion neutron source featuring an emission rate in the order of 5–7 × 1013 s−1. The plant relies on a metallic water-cooled rotating target and a deuterium (50%) and tritium (50%) ion beam. Beyond the main focus of medical radioisotope production, the source may represent a multi-purpose neutron facility by implementing a series of neutron-based techniques. Among the different engineering and technological issues to be addressed, the production of incondensable gases and corrosion product into the rotating target deserves a dedicated investigation. In this study, a preliminary analysis is carried out, considering the general layout of the target and the present choice of the target material