Comparison of Piezoelectric Transformer Neutron Generators and Existing Technologies

Industrial neutron generators are typically either radioisotope or electronic sources. Common ra- dioisotope neutron generators are americium beryllium (AmBe) or plutonium beryllium (PuBe) which are expensive and have environmental, health, and safety considerations. Electronic neutron generators use the deuterium-deuterium (D-D), deuterium-tritium (D-T), or tritium-tritium (T-T) nuclear reaction to produce neutrons. Generators using the D-D reaction have advantages of being radioisotope free and easily turned on and o??. These generators are commonly sealed tube generators made of three compo- nents: an ion source, a voltage source, and a target. Typical ion sources include plasma ion sources such as Penning, magnetron and RF ion sources. The voltage source is used to accelerate the ion beam towards the target. The target is typically a deuterium or tritium impregnated material. An electronic neutron generator is being developed using piezoelectric transformers for the ion source and voltage source. The deuterium ion source used for this system is a piezoelectric transformer plasma source (PTPS), which generates a plasma in an enclosed space for ion extraction by the high voltage source. Two di??erent voltage sources are being studied for extraction: a high voltage dc source and a high voltage piezoelectric transformer (HVPT). Both designs use a deuterium impregnated foil target. Experimental results of both piezoelectric neutron generator designs are presented and compared with current technologies used for oil well logging and active interrogation systems.