Cooling plate assembly for plasma windows positioned in a beam accelerator system
A beam accelerator system operable to produce a medical isotope, including an ion accelerator that generates an ion beam; a low-pressure chamber; an anode adjacent and fluidly connected to the low-pressure chamber; a plasma window adjacent and fluidly connected to the anode; and a cathode housing adjacent and fluidly connected to the plasma window. The plasma window has a plurality of plates, each plate having an aperture that is aligned with an aperture in one or more adjacent plates to form a plasma channel. One or more plates in the plurality of plates includes a unitary plate having an aperture therein, and one or more cooling channels entering the unitary plate at a first side of the unitary plate and exiting the unitary plate at a second side of the unitary plate. The one or more cooling channels run through a thickness of the unitary plate.
1. A beam accelerator system operable to produce a medical isotope, the beam accelerator system comprising:
an ion accelerator that generates a high-energy ion beam;
a low-pressure chamber;
an anode adjacent and fluidly connected to the low-pressure chamber;
a plasma window adjacent and fluidly connected to the anode; and
a cathode housing adjacent and fluidly connected to the plasma window, wherein
the plasma window comprises a plurality of plates, each plate comprises an aperture that is aligned with an aperture in one or more adjacent plate to form a plasma channel, and
one or more plate in the plurality of plates comprises:
a unitary plate having an aperture therein; and
one or more cooling channels entering the unitary plate at a first side of the unitary plate and exiting the unitary plate at a second side of the unitary plate,
wherein the one or more cooling channels run through a thickness of the unitary plate.
2. The beam accelerator system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cooling channels comprises a first cooling channel and a second cooling channel, wherein
the first cooling channel is substantially parallel to the second cooling channel, and
the first cooling channel is positioned on a first side of the aperture and the second cooling channel is positioned on a second side of the aperture.
3. The beam accelerator system of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first cooling channel and the second cooling channel have a smooth interior surface.
4. The beam accelerator system of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first cooling channel and the second cooling channel have a swirl design on an interior surface.
5. The beam accelerator system of claim 2 , wherein the first cooling channel and the second cooling channel have a cross-sectional area that is circular.
6. The beam accelerator system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of plates are formed from a thermally conductive metal selected from the group consisting of copper, silver, aluminum, and tungsten.
7. The beam accelerator system of claim 1 , wherein an inner wall of the aperture is formed from a refractory metal.
8. The beam accelerator system of claim 1 , wherein the aperture has a diameter that is from 1.0 mm to 10.0 mm.
9. The beam accelerator system of claim 1 , wherein at least one point of the one or more cooling channels is offset from the aperture by less than 15.0 mm.
10. The beam accelerator system of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the one or more cooling channels is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm and less than or equal to 5.0 mm.
11. A beam accelerator system operable to produce a medical isotope, the beam accelerator system comprising:
an ion accelerator that generates a high-energy ion beam;
a low-pressure chamber;
an anode adjacent and fluidly connected to the low-pressure chamber;
a plasma window adjacent and fluidly connected to the anode; and
a cathode housing adjacent and fluidly connected to the plasma window, wherein
the plasma window comprises a plurality of plates, each plate comprises an aperture that is aligned with an aperture in one or more adjacent plate to form a plasma channel, and
one or more plate in the plurality of plates comprises:
a first cooling channel and a second cooling channel that run through a thickness of the one or more plate and enters the one or more plate at a first side of the one or more plate and exits the one or more plate at a second side of the plate, wherein
the first cooling channel enters the one or more plate at the first side of the one or more plate, extends adjacent to a first side of the aperture, turns in a first direction to extend adjacent to a second side of the aperture, turns in a second direction and extends to exit the one or more plate at a second side of the one or more plate, and
the second cooling channel enters the one or more plate at a first side of the one or more plate and extends to a third side of the aperture, turns in the first direction to extend adjacent to the third side of the aperture, turns in the second direction to extend adjacent to a fourth side of the aperture, and exits on the second side of the one or more plate.
12. The beam accelerator system of claim 11 , wherein a longitudinal axis of the first cooling channel is positioned along a centerline that bisects a cross-section of the aperture.
13. The beam accelerator system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of plates are formed from a thermally conductive metal selected from the group consisting of copper, silver, aluminum, and tungsten.
14. The beam accelerator system of claim 11 , wherein an inner wall of the aperture is formed from a refractory metal.
15. The beam accelerator system of claim 11 , wherein the aperture has a diameter that is from 1.0 mm to 10.0 mm.
16. The beam accelerator system of claim 11 , wherein at least one point of the first cooling channel or second cooling channel is offset from the aperture by less than 15.0 mm.
17. The beam accelerator system of claim 11 , wherein a diameter of at least one of the first cooling channel and the second cooling channel is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm and less than or equal to 5.0 mm.
18. A beam accelerator system operable to produce a medical isotope, the beam accelerator system comprising:
an ion accelerator that generates a high-energy ion beam;
a low-pressure chamber;
an anode adjacent and fluidly connected to the low-pressure chamber;
a plasma window adjacent and fluidly connected to the anode; and
a cathode housing adjacent and fluidly connected to the plasma window, wherein
the plasma window comprises a plurality of plates, each plate comprises an aperture that is aligned with an aperture in one or more adjacent plate to form a plasma channel, and
one or more plate in the plurality of plates comprises:
one or more cooling channels comprises a first cooling channel, a second cooling channel, and a third cooling channel that run through a thickness of the one or more plate, wherein
the first cooling channel enters the one or more plate at a first side of the one or more plate, extends to a first side of the aperture and splits into the second cooling channel and the third cooling channel,
the second cooling channel, extends in a first direction adjacent to the first side of the aperture to a second side of the aperture, turns in a second direction and extends adjacent to the second side of the aperture and exits the one or more plate at a second side of the one or more plate, and
the third cooling channel extends in a third direction adjacent to the first side of the aperture to a third side of the aperture, turns in the second direction and extends adjacent to the third side of the aperture and exits the one or more plate at the second side of the one or more plate.
19. The beam accelerator system of claim 18 , wherein the first direction and the third direction are approximately perpendicular to the first cooling channel.
20. The beam accelerator system of claim 18 , wherein the second direction is approximately parallel to the first direction.