Multi-ray-source accelerator and inspection method

1. A multi-ray-source accelerator, comprising:

a plurality of acceleration tubes, each acceleration tube of the plurality of acceleration tubes comprising an acceleration tube body that defines at least one cavity and comprises a first end and a second end opposite to the first end in a first direction, the plurality of acceleration tubes being arranged in at least one row along a straight line or an arc in a second direction different from the first direction and being connected in series with each other such that cavities of two adjacent acceleration tubes connected in series are in fluid communication with each other; and

a microwave unit configured to provide a microwave field to the plurality of acceleration tubes, so as to accelerate electron beams in the at least one cavity of each acceleration tube of the plurality of acceleration tubes;

wherein the plurality of acceleration tubes are arranged to allow the microwave unit to provide the microwave field from an acceleration tube at one end of the at least one row of plurality of acceleration tubes connected in series with each other, so as to accelerate electron beams in the at least one cavity of each acceleration tube of the at least one row of plurality of acceleration tubes.

2. The multi-ray-source accelerator according to claim 1 , wherein

the plurality of acceleration tubes are arranged in a row in the second direction, each acceleration tube body defines a plurality of cavities connected in series in the first direction, and the plurality of acceleration tubes are arranged to allow the microwave unit to provide the microwave field from a cavity of an acceleration tube at one end of the row of plurality of acceleration tubes, so as to establish an acceleration field in cavities of the at least one row of plurality of acceleration tubes to accelerate electron beams emitted from the first end toward the second end in the first direction within the cavities of each acceleration tube; or

the plurality of acceleration tubes are arranged in a plurality of rows in the second direction, each acceleration tube body defines a plurality of cavities connected in series in the first direction, and the plurality of acceleration tubes are arranged to allow the microwave unit to provide the microwave field from a cavity of an acceleration tube at one end of the plurality of rows of acceleration tubes, so as to establish an acceleration field in cavities of the at least one row of plurality of acceleration tubes to accelerate electron beams emitted from the first end toward the second end in the first direction within the cavities of each acceleration tube.

3. The multi-ray-source accelerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of electron beam emission devices, each acceleration tube of the plurality of acceleration tubes being connected to a corresponding electron beam emission device among the plurality of electron beam emission devices, the corresponding electron beam emission device being disposed at the first end of each acceleration tube and configured to emit electron beams from the first end of the acceleration tube toward the second end in the first direction.

4. The multi-ray-source accelerator according to claim 1 , wherein each acceleration tube of the plurality of acceleration tubes comprises a target installed at the second end of a corresponding acceleration tube, such that the electron beams emitted from the first end of the acceleration tube toward the second end in the first direction within the cavity bombard onto the target to generate rays.

5. The multi-ray-source accelerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of collimators configured to collimate rays generated by the acceleration tube into a ray beam, each of the collimators being connected to a corresponding acceleration tube among the plurality of acceleration tubes, and each of the plurality of collimators being configured to have a collimation slit capable of independently adjusting its orientation so as to adjust, independently of the other acceleration tubes, the rays generated by the acceleration tube connected to the each collimator, thereby generating a desired ray beam.

6. The multi-ray-source accelerator according to claim 5 , wherein the collimator is configured to be rotatable relative to the acceleration tube body so that the rays emitted by respective acceleration tubes have the same orientation and profile.

7. The multi-ray-source accelerator according to claim 6 , wherein each of the collimators is rotatable relative to the acceleration tube body so that the collimation slit of the collimator extends in a vertical direction, an inclined direction, or a horizontal direction.

8. The multi-ray-source accelerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a shield configured to surround the plurality of acceleration tubes, so as to shield electron beams generated by the plurality of acceleration tubes and rays generated by the plurality of acceleration tubes.

9. The multi-ray-source accelerator according to claim 8 , wherein the shield has an integral structure such that the plurality of acceleration tubes are surrounded by the integral shield.

10. The multi-ray source accelerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a cooling water loop, the cooling water loop being in communication with the microwave unit so as to cool the microwave unit, the cooling water loop being in communication with the acceleration tube bodies of the plurality of acceleration tubes to cool the acceleration tube bodies, targets, collimators and shield, and the cooling water loop being further in communication with electron beam emission devices so as to cool the electron beam emission devices.

11. The multi-ray-source accelerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a gas supply pipeline configured to provide carrier gas to the microwave unit.

12. An inspection method using a multi-ray-source accelerator according to claim 1 , the inspection method comprising:

activating the microwave unit to provide a microwave field from an acceleration tube at one end of the row of plurality of acceleration tubes connected in series with each other;

providing gas to a waveguide structure of the microwave unit with a gas supply pipeline;

emitting electron beams in a first direction with an electron beam emission device, so that the electron beams are accelerated by the microwave field to bombard onto a target; and

irradiating an article with one or more ray beam emitted by the multi-ray source accelerator;

wherein a cooling water loop provides cooling water to cool acceleration tube bodies, targets, collimators, electron beam emission devices and shield.

13. The inspection method according to claim 12 ,

wherein the plurality of acceleration tubes are arranged in a row in the second direction, each acceleration tube body defines a plurality of cavities connected in series in the first direction, and the activating the microwave unit to provide a microwave field comprises:

activating the microwave unit to provide the microwave field from a cavity of an acceleration tube at one end of the row of plurality of acceleration tubes, so as to establish an acceleration field in cavities of the at least one row of plurality of acceleration tubes to accelerate electron beams emitted from the first end toward the second end in the first direction within the cavities of each acceleration tube; or

wherein the plurality of acceleration tubes are arranged in a plurality of rows in the second direction, each acceleration tube body defines a plurality of cavities connected in series in the first direction, and the activating the microwave unit to provide a microwave field comprises:

activating the microwave unit to provide the microwave field from a cavity of an acceleration tube at one end of the plurality of rows of acceleration tubes, so as to establish an acceleration field in cavities of the at least one row of plurality of acceleration tubes to accelerate electron beams emitted from the first end toward the second end in the first direction within the cavities of each acceleration tube.

14. The inspection method according to claim 12 , wherein

the multi-ray-source accelerator further comprises a plurality of electron beam emission devices, each acceleration tube of the plurality of acceleration tubes being connected to a corresponding electron beam emission device among the plurality of electron beam emission devices, the corresponding electron beam emission device being disposed at the first end of each acceleration tube; and

the emitting electron beams in a first direction with an electron beam emission device comprises:

emitting, by the corresponding electron beam emission device, electron beams from the first end of the acceleration tube toward the second end in the first direction.

15. The inspection method according to claim 12 , wherein

each acceleration tube of the plurality of acceleration tubes comprises a target installed at the second end of a corresponding acceleration tube, and

the electron beams emitted from the first end of the acceleration tube toward the second end in the first direction within the cavity bombard onto the target to generate rays.

16. The inspection method according to claim 12 , wherein

the multi-ray-source accelerator further comprises a plurality of collimators, each of the collimators being connected to a corresponding acceleration tube among the plurality of acceleration tubes, and

the inspection method further comprises:

collimating, by the plurality of collimators, rays generated by the acceleration tube into a ray beam; and

independently adjusting an orientation of a collimation slit of each of the plurality of collimators so as to adjust, independently of the other acceleration tubes, the rays generated by the acceleration tube connected to the each collimator, thereby generating a desired ray beam.

17. The inspection method according to claim 16 , further comprising:

rotating the collimators relative to the acceleration tube body so that the rays emitted by respective acceleration tubes have the same orientation and profile.

18. The inspection method according to claim 17 , wherein the rotating the collimators relative to the acceleration tube body comprises:

rotating each of the collimators relative to the acceleration tube body so that the collimation slit of the collimator extends in a vertical direction, an inclined direction, or a horizontal direction.

19. The inspection method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

providing a shield to surround the plurality of acceleration tubes, so as to shield electron beams generated by the plurality of acceleration tubes and rays generated by the plurality of acceleration tubes.

20. The inspection method according to claim 12 , wherein

the cooling water loop is in communication with the microwave unit so as to cool the microwave unit,

the cooling water loop is in communication with the acceleration tube bodies of the plurality of acceleration tubes to cool the acceleration tube bodies, targets, collimators and shield, and

the cooling water loop is further in communication with electron beam emission devices so as to cool the electron beam emission devices.