MOLP22

• Z. Zimek, Z. Dzwigalski, S. Warchol; S. Bulka, K. Roman
  Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Poland

Upgrading of radiation facility located at Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology in Warsaw equipped with linear electron accelerator towards higher technical and economical effectiveness is being performed to obtain better operational characteristics suitable for radiation processing and research programs in the field of radiation technology development. The objective of the project initiated in 2004 is related to construction of 10 MeV, 15 kW linear electron accelerator equipped with microwave source based on modern klystron device operated at frequency according to European standards and standing wave accelerating section. The project is indispensable in order to promote effectively in Poland the radiation technologies for sterilzation medical devices and tissue grafts as well as food product hygenization and other radiation processes where high energy electrons are required. The following stages of the project have been described: design of microwave system of accelerator including pulse power supply, completion and installation of necessary systems including klystron stand, pulse power supply stand, driving generator stand and waveguide system. The semiconductor HV transistor switch was applied in klystron modulator. The standing wave accelerating section has been implemented. Electron beam alignment, beam parameters evaluation and accelerator commissioning will be the final stage of the project. The better accelerator availability, more stable beam parameters, better spare parts availability, reduced exploitation costs and higher beam power are expected after successful project implementation foreseen in 2007.

MOLP23

• Z. Zimek, A.G. Chmielewski
  Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Poland

High power accelerators have been recently developed to meet demands of flue gas treatment and other high throughput processes. Such accelerators can substantially increase the capacity of the process and reduced unit cost of operation. Automatic control, reliability and reduced maintenance, adequate adoption to process conditions, suitable electron energy and beam power are the basic features of modern accelerator construction. Accelerators have the potential to serve as big radiation sources which can transfer much higher amounts of energy into the irradiated objects than other types of facilities. That provide opportunity to construct technological lines with high capacity and they are more technically and economically suitable with high throughputs and low cost what is necessary in environmental protection technologies. Some special efforts should be done to optimize electrical energy consumption for accelerator, electron beam handling system and other auxiliary equipment related to radiation facility to achieve the highest electrical efficiency. Electron beam technology is already being utilized in many pilot plants and demonstration facilities for environmental application. Several full size facilities were constructed and implemented in different countries. Among them flue gas treatment unit equipped with four electron accelerators with total beam power over 1 MW installed in Poland. Accelerators may play a major role in new big market related to environment application of radiation processing if except high power, high efficiency, low cost they will be characterized by high reliability suitable for industrial standards. High power accelerator technology may need governmental support in design, construction and testing such equipment because environmental applications of EB technology are examples of high risk and not very high payoff but on the other hand radiation technology transfer to environmental application could be in result a substantial improvement in public health.