Author: Barbier, C.N.
Paper Title Page
THVIR01
A 2MW Mercury Target for Neutron Production  
 
  • C.N. Barbier, E.E. Dominguez, K.C. Johns, J.R. Weinmeister, D.E. Winder
    ORNL, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
 
  Funding: This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the US Department of Energy (DOE).
Upgrades are underway at the Spallation Neutron Source at ORNL to increase the proton beam power from 1.4 MW to 2.8 MW to increase the neutron intensity at the first target station up to 2 MW and support the future operation of the second target station. The first target station uses a mercury target and its lifetime is mainly restricted by cavitation erosion: when the proton beam pulses hit the target, strong pressure waves are developed causing cavitation damage. A successful approach to mitigate the pressure wave has been to inject small helium bubbles into the mercury. Experience at SNS shows that even a small amount of Helium was enough to successfully mitigate the pressure wave and the cavitation erosion at 1.4 MW. However, at higher power more mitigation will be necessary. A substantially new design target vessel design will be presented that leverages lessons from operational experience and post-irradiation examination of previous targets. The 2MW target will be equipped with two methods of gas injection: swirl bubblers to introduce small bubbles and a second gas injection port closer to the nose. Operation history and R&D related to this new target will be presented.
 
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