Commercial Neutron Imaging with an Accelerator-Based Neutron Source
摘要
Neutron imaging is a powerful and complementary tool to other nondestructive testing (NDT) methods due to the high penetration of neutrons through dense, high atomic number materials and high contrast to certain low atomic number elements such as hydrogen. The primary NDT applications for neutron radiography are the detection of residual core material in single-crystal turbine blades and the inspection of mission-critical aerospace pyrotechnic devices. Historically, production-scale commercial neutron radiography has only been available at a handful of nuclear research reactors, which face challenges with limited availability, low scalability, high regulatory burden, and service interruptions due to both planned maintenance and unplanned outages. To address these challenges, Phoenix has designed and deployed an accelerator-based neutron source built from the ground up for the express purpose of neutron radiography. The Phoenix Neutron Imaging Center, operating from our facility in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, has been in commercial operation since 2020 and has served dozens of customers across aerospace, defense, and academia, imaging several hundred thousand components per year. This article will provide an overview of the facility, examples of typical NDT applications, and case studies for industrial neutron computed tomography and time-resolved neutron imaging. The development of this highly parallel and inherently scalable approach to neutron imaging has demonstrated that a privately funded neutron source is commercially viable, and that we can democratize access to neutrons and potentially significantly increase the user base by bringing neutron production to the open market.