5th High Power Targetry Workshop

Design and Thermal-Hydraulic Performance of a Helium Cooled Target for the Production of Medical Isotope 99mTc

20 May 2014, 17:30

1h 30m

Wilson Hall - Atrium

Board: 101

Poster Presentation Target Design Challenges HPTW Poster Session & Reception

Speaker

Keith Woloshun (Los Alamos National Lab)

Description

99mTc, the daughter isotope of 99Mo, is the most commonly used radioisotope for nuclear medicine in the United States. Under the direction of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) are partnering with NorthStar Medical Technologies to demonstrate the viability of large-scale 99Mo production using electron accelerators. In this process, 99Mo is produced in an enriched 100Mo target through the 100Mo(γ,n)99Mo reaction. This paper describes the design and performance (test results) of the helium-cooled Mo target to date. Modifications of the target size (diameter and length) continue toward an optimum configuration for isotope production maximization, but with volumetric heating as high as 33 kW/cc the cylindrical target has been segmented into disks to keep the peak heat flux under 1000 W/cm2. Changes in electron beam spot size and shape, also continually evolving toward an optimum for both production and cooling, impact of the design and performance of the target. The current design status and performance predictions are discussed.