LIQUID METAL LOOP AND NEUTRON GENERATOR

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lower-price liquid metal loop than a conventional liquid metal loop which uses many bellows 13.

SOLUTION: The liquid metal loop comprises a target formation part 1 which forms a target of proton beams by jetting a liquid metal into a film shape from a nozzle 11 to a receiver 12; and piping 10 which constitutes the loop circulating the liquid metal. A part of the piping 10 is provided in parallel with a jetting direction of the liquid metal and is composed of non-elastic piping 10 only. Although during operation, temperature rises by proton beam irradiation and the piping 10 is thermally expanded, the target formation part 1 can absorb thermal expansion because the target formation part 1 jets the liquid metal into a film shape to form the target and there are no structures between the nozzle 11 and the receiver 12. Therefore, bellows 13 may not be provided in the piping 10 in the jetting direction of the liquid metal, and a manufacturing cost and maintenance work can be reduced.

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