7.5 MeV High Average Power Linear Accelerator System for Food Irradiation Applications

In December 2004 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of 7.5 MeV X-rays for irradiation of food products. The increased efficiency for treatment at 7.5 MeV (versus the previous maximum allowable X-ray energy of 5 MeV) will have a significant impact on processing rates and, therefore, reduce the per-package cost of irradiation using X-rays. Titan Pulse Sciences Division is developing a new food irradiation system based on this ruling. The irradiation system incorporates a 7.5 MeV electron linear accelerator (linac) that is capable of 100 kW average power. A tantalum converter is positioned close to the exit window of the scan horn. The linac is an RF standing waveguide structure based on a 5 MeV accelerator that is used for X-ray processing of food products. The linac is powered by a 1300 MHz (L-Band) klystron tube. The electrical drive for the klystron is a solid state modulator that uses inductive energy store and solid-state opening switches. The system is designed to operate 7000 hours per year.