Design and Performance Test of ENT2465 Long-Life Neutron Tube

The neutron tube is the core component of the controllable neutron source logging instrument. Its working stability, temperature resistance, neutron yield and other indicators have an important impact on the working performance of instrument. At present, with the requirement of deep logging, the neutron tube used in logging is supposed to improve neutron yield, temperature resistance, operating life and working stability. In this paper, the structure, materials and manufacturing process of drive-in target neutron tube are designed and optimized to reduce power consumption and improve operating time. The temperature resistance, operating life, and neutron yield of sample tube have tested to estimate the performance of ENT2465 with an outer diameter of 25 millimeters. Place the sample tube in the oil tank of the neutron testing platform and connect the cable. Record the temperature, cumulative working time, neutron yield, target voltage, target current and anode current during the work of the sample tube. The results show that under the target voltage of 80 kV and target current less than 60 μA, the accumulated operating life of the sample tube exceeds 1 000 hours, including 23 hours of continuous operation at 175℃ and more than 500 hours of accumulated operation, and 36 hours of continuous operation at room temperature. The neutron yield only decreases by 5.3 % after 1 000 hours under the same target voltage and current.