Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-2004

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Mechanical Engineering

Major Professor

Arthur E. Ruggles

Committee Members

Rao V. Arimill, A. J. Baker

Abstract

The purpose of this research project is to design and optimize the enriched water targets used in the cyclotron systems that are manufactured by CTI Inc. Enriched water target is the source of Fluorine 18 that is used in the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanners for medical imaging purposes. Oxygen 18 enriched water is the target for the 10.5 MeV protons that are produced by the cyclotron. A p-n reaction takes place when the high-energy protons interact with the Oxygen 18, creating Fluorine 18. The proton beam also deposits thermal energy in the target. As the enriched water is costly, target performance is based on the Fluorine 18 generation per gram of enriched water target. Target performance is partly determined by the heat rejection capability of the target holder. Current target designs absorb 400 Watts of power when charged with 1 cc of enriched water.

In the present research, a new design was developed with increased heat transfer capability and less inventory. The new design rejects 1000 Watts when charged with 0.7 cc of enriched water operating at 4.7 MPa (680 psia). Thermal modeling, computer simulation and experimentation supporting the design optimization are in this thesis. Future studies are also suggested. MATLAB and AutoSketch 7.0 packages are used for simulation and design rendering purposes.

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