Optimization of Cooling Scheme for 10MeV Electron Linear Accelerator (LINAC)

Abstract

RRCAT has developed a 10MeV electron linear accelerator (LINAC) for radiation processing. For the stable operation of the linear accelerator (LINAC) with minimum phase error and frequency shift, it is essential to keep operating temperature within precise limit. To achieve this analysis of cooling scheme is important. Four cooling schemes viz. Cooling jacket with constant cross sectional (C/S) area; Cooling jacket with variable C/S area; Cooling jacket with helical water flow path and cooling jacket with wire insert are analyzed in this research work. ANSYS-Fluent package is used for analysis. Optimization of each scheme is done to find out most effective scheme. Cooling jacket with constant cross sectional area give maximum temperature of 312.55 K for mass flow rate of water equals to1.6 kg/sec. And its structural analysis in ANSYS-Static structural package gives maximum frequency shift of 372.70 kHz. After optimization of cooling jacket with helical flow path it can be found that wire diameter of 4mm and pitch of 15mm gives maximum temperature of 310.56 K for flow rate of water equals to 0.4315 kg/sec. Wire insert in cooling jacket does not add significant value in improvement of cooling jacket performance. Optimization of cooling jacket with variable cross sectional area gives maximum temperature of 313.014 K for flow rate of 1.6 kg/sec. And its structural analysis in ANSYS-Static structural package gives maximum frequency shift of 249.89 kHz. So this scheme gives desired results of minimizing frequency shift due to thermal deformation. System for constant wall temperature along with its components is proposed for further modification, testing and implementation