Progress in high-temperature oven development for 28 GHz electron cyclotron resonance ion source

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Engineering
• Materials Science
• Plasma Physics

Background:

• Development of a high-temperature oven for uranium dioxide (UO2) applications.
• Utilizing a 28 GHz superconducting electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source at RIKEN.
• Ongoing research since 2013 focused on advanced ion source technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail the development and testing of a high-temperature oven for UO2.
• To identify and address operational challenges encountered during testing.
• To implement design improvements for enhanced crucible performance and longevity.

Main Methods:

• Conducted eleven on-line tests of the UO2 high-temperature oven.
• Monitored operational parameters including duration (up to 411 h) and UO2 consumption rate (approx. 2.4 mg/h).
• Employed ANSYS simulations to analyze crucible design and identify failure mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Successfully operated the oven for extended periods, demonstrating feasibility.
• Identified key issues: crucible ejection hole blockage and tungsten weakening at high temperatures.
• Simulation-based redesign of the crucible shape to mitigate identified problems.

Conclusions:

• The high-temperature oven using UO2 is a viable technology for ECR ion sources.
• Crucible design is critical for reliable, long-term operation.
• Computational simulations effectively guided improvements to resolve operational challenges.