Hybrid linear accelerator with a broad range of regulated electron and x-ray beam parameters includes both standing wave and traveling wave linear sections for providing a multiple-energy high-efficiency electron beam or x-ray beam useful for security inspection, non-destructive testing, radiation therapy, and other applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017265293-A1
Application number	US-201615068355-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 11, 2016
Priority date	Mar 11, 2016
Publication date	Sep 14, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A Hybrid (SW+TW) Linear Acellerator is disclosed having high beam efficiency and broad energy regulation that is useful for security inspection, non-destructive testing, radiotherapy, and electron beam irradiation of objects. The Hybrid Linear Accelerator (LINAC) provides superior energy regulation, and includes a reversed RF power distribution which substantially improves RF power utilization, thereby eliminating need for an output RF load, and ensuring broad electron beam energy regulation operating in a broad range of input RF power, thereby efficiently running at a variety of input electron beam current intensities at high efficiency. The Hybrid LINAC may be equipped with a fast and/or slow phase shifter and/or a power regulator having a phase shifter and a current regulator, while operating much more efficiently than known LINACS. The Hybrid LINAC permits efficient operation without an external magnetic field, thereby avoiding use of a power-consuming solenoid, consequently reducing cost of production, operation, and maintenance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A Hybrid LINAC with high beam efficiency and broad energy regulation for security inspection, non-destructive testing, radiotherapy, and electron beam irradiation of objects, the Hybrid LINAC comprising:
an electron gun configured to provide an input beam of electrons; a standing wave linear accelerator section (SW Buncher) configured to receive the input beam of electrons and accelerate the electrons, the SW Buncher including an SW Input RF Coupler, the SW Buncher providing an intermediate beam of accelerated electrons; a traveling wave linear accelerator section (TW accelerator) configured to receive the intermediate beam of accelerated electrons, and to further increase the momentum and energy of the accelerated electrons, the TW accelerator including a TW Input RF Coupler and a TW Output RF Coupler, the TW accelerator providing an output beam of electrons; a drift space configured to provide RF decoupling between the SW buncher and the TW accelerator, while also permitting transit of the intermediate beam of accelerated electrons from the SW buncher to the TW accelerator; an RF source configured to provide RF energy to the TW accelerator via a first RF Transmitting Waveguide and the TW Input RF Coupler; and a second RF Transmitting Waveguide including at least one of: a Switch, a Phase Shifter, and a Power Adjuster, the second RF Transmitting Waveguide being cooperative with both the TW Output RF Coupler and the SW Input RF Coupler, the second RF Transmitting Waveguide allowing the SW Buncher to serve as an adjustable resonant load so as to provide broad energy regulation of the output beam of electrons, the second RF Transmitting Waveguide also enabling the SW Buncher to be fed with RF power remaining after attenuation in the TW accelerator so as to provide high beam efficiency of the output beam of electrons.

2 . The Hybrid LINAC of claim 1 , wherein the standing wave linear accelerator section (SW Buncher) is cooperative with a first external magnetic system.

3 . The Hybrid LINAC of claim 1 , wherein the traveling wave linear accelerator section (TW accelerator) is cooperative with a second external magnetic system.

4 . The Hybrid LINAC of claim 1 , wherein the first RF Transmitting Waveguide includes a High Power Circulator so as to prevent reflected RF power from propagating back to the RF source.

5 . The Hybrid LINAC of claim 1 , wherein the second RF Transmitting Waveguide includes a Low Power Circulator so as to prevent reflected RF power from propagating back to the TW accelerator.

6 . The Hybrid LINAC of claim 1 , wherein broad energy regulation of the output beam of electrons provides energy regulation from 0.5 MeV to maximum LINAC energy.

7 . The Hybrid LINAC of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
an electron beam window and a conversion target for producing Bremsstrahlung radiation.

8 . A Hybrid LINAC with high beam efficiency and broad energy regulation for security inspection, non-destructive testing, radiotherapy, and electron beam irradiation of objects, the Hybrid LINAC comprising:
an electron gun configured to provide an input beam of electrons; a standing wave linear accelerator section (SW Buncher) configured to receive the input beam of electrons and accelerate the electrons, the SW Buncher including an SW Input RF Coupler, the SW Buncher providing an intermediate beam of accelerated electrons; a traveling wave linear accelerator section (TW accelerator) configured to receive the intermediate beam of accelerated electrons, and to further increase the momentum and energy of the accelerated electrons, the TW accelerator including a TW Input RF Coupler and a TW Output RF Coupler, the TW accelerator providing an output beam of electrons; a drift space configured to provide RF decoupling between the SW buncher and the TW accelerator, while also permitting transit of the intermediate beam of accelerated electrons from the SW buncher to the TW accelerator; an RF Splitter configured to receive RF energy, and to bifurcate the RF energy; an RF source configured to provide RF energy to the RF splitter via a first RF Transmitting Waveguide, the RF Splitter providing a first portion of the bifurcated RF energy to the SW Buncher via a second RF Transmitting Waveguide and the SW Input RF Coupler, the second RF Transmitting Waveguide also enabling the SW Buncher to be fed with RF power not used by the TW Accelerator so as to provide high beam efficiency of the output beam of electrons; and at least one of a Switch, a Phase Shifter, and a Power Adjuster, cooperative with both the the RF Splitter and the TW Input RF Coupler via a third RF Transmitting Waveguide, the at least one of a Switch, a Phase Shifter, and a Power Adjuster being capable of redistributing RF power between the SW Buncher and the TW Acellerator, and/or changing phase relationship between the SW Buncher and the TW Acellerator, thereby allowing the TW Accelerator to serve as an adjustable resonant load so as to provide broad energy regulation of the output beam of electrons.

9 . The Hybrid LINAC of claim 8 , wherein the standing wave linear accelerator section (SW Buncher) is cooperative with a first external magnetic system.

10 . The Hybrid LINAC of claim 8 , wherein the traveling wave linear accelerator section (TW accelerator) is cooperative with a second external magnetic system.

11 . The Hybrid LINAC of claim 8 , wherein the first RF Transmitting Waveguide includes a High Power Circulator so as to prevent reflected RF power from propagating back to the RF source.

12 . The Hybrid LINAC of claim 8 , further comprising:
a Matched RF Load, cooperative with the TW Output RF Coupler, matched so as to absorb RF power remaining after acceleration in the TW Accelerator.

13 . The Hybrid LINAC of claim 8 , wherein broad energy regulation of the output beam of electrons provides energy regulation from 0.5 MeV to maximum LINAC energy.

14 . The Hybrid LINAC of claim 8 , further comprising at least one of:
an electron beam window and a conversion target for producing Bremsstrahlung radiation.

15 . A Hybrid LINAC with high beam efficiency and broad energy regulation for security inspection, non-destructive testing, radiotherapy, and electron beam irradiation of objects, the Hybrid LINAC comprising:
an electron gun configured to provide an input beam of electrons; a standing wave linear accelerator section (SW Buncher) configured to receive the input beam of electrons and accelerate the electrons, the SW Buncher providing an intermediate beam of accelerated electrons; a traveling wave linear accelerator section (TW accelerator) configured to receive the intermediate beam of accelerated electrons, and to further increase the momentum and energy of the accelerated electrons, the TW accelerator including a TW Output RF Coupler, the TW accelerator providing an output beam of electrons; a Hybrid RF Coupler configured to provide RF coupling between the SW buncher and the TW accelerator, while also permitting transit of the intermediate beam of accelerated electrons from the SW buncher to the TW accelerator; an RF source configured to provide RF energy to both the SW Buncher and the TW accelerator via an RF Transmitting Waveguide cooperative with the Hybrid RF Coupler; and a Matched RF Load cooperative with at least one of a Switch, a Phase Shifter, and a Power Adjuster, the Matched RF Load also being cooperative with the TW Output RF Coupler, the Matched RF Load being matched so as to absorb RF power remaining after acceleration in the TW Accelerator in accordance with the at leas

Assignees

• Varex Imaging Corp

Inventors

• Mishin Andrey

Classifications

• H05H2007/025

  Radiofrequency systems · CPC title

• H05H7/02

  Circuits or systems for supplying or feeding radio-frequency energy · CPC title

• H05H9/047 Primary

  Hybrid systems · CPC title

• H01J29/48

  Electron guns · CPC title

• H05H9/02

  Travelling-wave linear accelerators {(travelling-wave tubes H01J25/34)} · CPC title