25
Transport
of Methane Pellets for Advanced Cold Moderators--Cryogenic
Applications F, Inc.,
Dr.
Christopher A. Foster, Principal Investigator,
Dr.
Christopher A. Foster, Business Official,
DOE
Grant No. DE-FG02-03ER83634
Amount:
$746,752
Existing and planned neutron facilities, such as the
Spallation Neutron Source, generate pulses of cold neutrons for materials
research. The efficiency of the beam
line components, which convert the fast neutrons to a cold neutron beam,
determines the usefulness of the facility. Existing
solid methane moderators have a high efficiency, but they can’t be scaled to
work on planned high power sources. However,
a cold moderator using solid methane pellets should be capable of high power
operation, and the technology for producing methane pellets has recently been
demonstrated. This project will
extend the technology to allow circulation of the pellets into and out of a
remote moderator cell. In Phase I, methods
were developed to improve the flow characteristics of the pellets, which tend to
stick together. A cryogenic rotary
drum hopper was developed, which allowed the pellets to be stored without
sticking. In Phase II, a full scale
cryogenic pellet storage and transport system will be developed.
The system will include a larger rotary drum with an indirect pellet
cooling system. A pellet discharge
chute will be designed to rapidly transfer the pellets to a remote prototype
moderator.
Commercial
Applications and Other Benefits as
described by awardee: Compared
to a conventional hydrogen moderator, a methane moderator using this cryogenic
pellet technology would double the output of cold neutrons.
The pellet technology also could be used for improving commercial dry ice
pellet blasting machines.