Rotating tritium target system is the core part of high intensity D-T fusion neutron generator. Due to the working temperature limitation, the cooling problem of the target system is always one of the technical bottlenecks which restrict the neutron yield increase of neutron generator. Recently, researchers of Institute of Nuclear Energy Safety Technology (INEST), Chinese Academy of Sciences·FDS Team have finished the first stage thermal verification experiment of high power rotating tritium target system. That solved the effective cooling problem of 600 W/cm2 power density, which kept the target temperature under 200 oC.

After a year of tackling key problems, researchers of FDS Team successfully developed the cooling technology test platform for rotating tritium target system, which includes jet array and spray array cooling test functions. It can steadily operate under many different conditions for a long term. The effective cooling power of this platform is bigger than 80 kW (with 600 W/cm2 power density), which is the highest power index cooled by spray array cooling technology in the world.

All above marks that FDS Team has made breakthrough in high power density heat transfer enhancement technology and rotating tritium target system development of high intensity D-T fusion neutron generator. That will provide important technical supports for the further development of fusion neutron generator and other thermal engineering issues.

Thermal test on the cooling technology test platform (Imaged by WANG Gang)