Feasibility study of Mo-99 production using high-power electron Linac: Nuclear and thermal-mechanical analysis based on photoneutron interaction

‎This work presents an alternative method for Mo99 production as a parent nuclide of Tc99m which is the most used radioisotope in diagnostic imaging processes‎. ‎Regarding to some benefits of acceleratorbased methods over reactorbased methods for Mo99 production‎, ‎the electron Linacbased method has been selected‎. ‎In this way of production‎, ‎two approaches (onestage and twostage) are available using photoneutron reaction in Mo100 target using bremsstrahlung photons‎. ‎The superiority of onestage approach and optimal dimension of target has been demonstrated by nuclear simulation using MCNPX2.6 code‎. ‎Thermal analysis of the optimized target has been performed by COMSOL software‎, ‎which has been led to select the indirect cooling system‎. ‎The final suggested conceptual design of the target includes nine Mo100 stripe plates with 0.2‎, ‎3‎, ‎and 30 cm in thickness‎, ‎width and length‎, ‎respectively which being surrounded by two copper clamps as the cooling ducts‎. ‎The velocity of 2.5 m/s of inlet coolant (water) is sufficient for the suggested cooling system to satisfy the conditions of the turbulent regime as the desired cooling regime‎.