Development and performance of a 14-MeV neutron generator

An accelerator-based 14-MeV neutron generator for fusion neutronics studies has been developed in Fusion Neutronics Laboratory (FNL) at Institute for Plasma Research (IPR). The generator is initially designed to produce a neutron yield of 10(10) n/s and operated for 1.1x10(9) n/s. It will be further upgraded to the neutron yield of 10(12) n/s. The neutron generator consists of various components such as 2.45 GHz ECR ion source, 300 kV linear accelerator, beam diagnostic system, TMP based vacuum system, solid tritium target, and control system. Various direct and indirect neutron detection techniques are deployed to evaluate the performance of the neutron generator in terms of neutron emission. These techniques include foil activation, alpha particle diagnostic, and He-3 proportional counter. The reaction rates for the foil activation are estimated using the Monte Carlo technique. Results of all independent diagnostics are obtained and compared. The paper describes the experimental setup and neutron diagnostics. It also describes the performance of the 14-MeV neutron generator highlighting its stability under continuous operation.