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| Pisces Upgrade - Anode Fabrication |
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| Pisces Upgrade - Anode Fabrication |
These anodes are fabricated from CAD 18200 chromium copper to utilize the material's high-strength, high-temperature capability. The fabricator is Precision Tubedraw & Machining, Inc. of Gardena, CA, under subcontract to The Boeing Company. To give some idea of the size of the part, the diameter of the large flange is 24 inches and the length is 9.3 inches. The anode is contoured as a cusp, both on the inside near the plasma and on the outside of the part.
The next picture shows one of the anodes being machined in the lathe
The next two pictures are photos of the anode with the exterior nearly complete. The larger flange is not machined to the final dimension and the inner contour has not been completed. Additional holes will be drilled. This part can be used for either the low power or the high power anodes at this point.
A closeup of the exterior of the high power anode can be seen in the photograph to the left. Twenty three coolant channels are machined into the exterior surface of the cusp-shaped anode. Spotfaces were incorporated locally to provide for attachment of coolant inlet and outlet tubes for either one or two coolant channels. The coolant enters on one side of the anode and exits on the opposite side. Only a few coolant tubes are in place to illustrate the design approach. The next fabrication process is to electroplate 0.080 inches of copper on top of the coolant channels to contain the coolant and around the coolant tubes to secure the tubes.
The picture to the right shows the interior of the cusp in the region near the cathode. The flange shown attaches to the cathode and heater flanges. The ions generated in the cathode region are directed by the cusp-shaped magnetic field from this region down through the center of the anode and into the beam tubes.
This view is the beam-tube end of the anode. The energic ions will be directed down through the small annular opening in the anode, which is 9 cm in diameter (3.54 inches). The reflecting-end beam tube or the bumper limiter/target-end beam tube are attached to the flange shown.
You may return to the PISCES Upgrade home page for more information or go directly to pages that illustrate the fabrication status of other PISCES Upgrade hardware:
The Boeing Program Manager for the PISCES Upgrade design and fabrication contract is Lester M. Waganer. The University of California - San Diego is the sponsoring agency for the Department of Energy.