Introduction
The COSTIS system is a commercially available target station for the irradiation of solid targets. Up to 3 targets can be provided for irradiation by a slot system. In standard setup the target can be ejected via a pneumatically driven piston system. The target is then allowed to drop down into an open lead container, which can be closed remotely afterwards. The described procedure is well established and reliable. But the concept is limited to low dose targets and environments. The required entering of the cyclotron vault for manual pick up of the container at the cyclotron and the light 18 mm Pb lead shielding of the container itself cause exposure risk for the personnel after long term irradiations with highly activated cyclotron parts and target.
The purpose of this work was the design of an alternative for the pickup and the transport of irradiated targets to minimize the radiation dosage of the personnel during manual handling of the COSTIS-lead container.
Principle
The new designed transport system still uses the software controlled target ejection function of the COSTIS/IBA-system. With ejection the target capsule is allowed to fall into a PTFE-container. To assure a safe target drop into the PTFE container, the gap between the target guiding plate and the PTFE container is smaller than d/2 of the target capsule. After target ejection the PTFE-container can be transferred remotely from target ejection position (1) to the loading station (2) with a target slide. The loading station allows the transfer of the PTFE container remotely into a lead container (60 mm Pb). Now the vault door is used as carrier of the Pb-container. For this purpose a proper fixture for the Pb-container is mounted at the front side of the vault door and via opening the vault door the container is safely transported out of the vault. Outside the container will be finally closed with a lid and transferred to a trolley for further handling. Due to positioning of the container at a certain altitude together with the deep positioning of the target coin inside of the container, the subsequent closing of the container does not cause significant dosage, a more complicated automatic closing system is not mandatory. After replacement of the lead container further transfers can be executed without entering the vault. For this purpose the exchanged Pb-container is placed at the loading station by closing the vault door and a new PTFE-container will be transferred remotely from a magazine onto the target slide, which again can be re-motely positioned at target ejection position. The magazine of PTFE-Containers holds two replacements in accordance with the maximal capacity of the target slot system of the COSTIS station. The remote system of the transport unit uses redundant feedback signals for a reliable and safe operation.
Results and Conclusion
The newly implemented transport system allows a significant reduction of the radiation dose during pickup and transport of the irradiated solid targets. No entering of the vault is needed after irradiation. The system is highly reliable due to its redundant and straightforward design (2-fold position switches and photoelectric barriers). Due to fixed attachment points in the vault and at the BTL the mobile unit can be easily removed or mounted. The system is maintenance free and all parts easy accessible.
For further handling of the targets lead containers were design to fit in the transfer locks of hot cells. The transfer can be carried out directly from the trolley. Container lid and PTFE container are suited for manipulator handling in hot cells.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa:de:qucosa:22256 |
| Date | January 2015 |
| Creators | Franke, K. |
| Contributors | Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany |
| Publisher | Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf |
| Source Sets | Hochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | doc-type:conferenceObject, info:eu-repo/semantics/conferenceObject, doc-type:Text |
| Source | WTTC15 |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | urn:nbn:de:bsz:d120-qucosa-162048, qucosa:22221 |
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