SBIR-STTR Award

Low Cost, Portable X-Ray Simulator Development
Award last edited on: 1/14/03

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
DOD : DTRA
Total Award Amount
$848,924
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
DSWA97-009
Principal Investigator
Richard J Adler

Company Information

North Star Research Corporation

4651 Butterfield Drive Suite 102
Tucson, AZ 85714
   (520) 747-1280
   Radler2@Compuserve.com
   www.northstar-research.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 03
County: 

Phase I

Contract Number: DSWA01-97-M-0300
Start Date: 5/6/97    Completed: 1/30/98
Phase I year
1997
Phase I Amount
$99,950
We propose, in Phase I and Phase II, to build an X-ray simulator capable of easy transportation between sites which can be built for a low cost (<$750,000) even for a first unit. A portable low cost simulator such as the one we have proposed will make X-ray simulation much more attractive in a variety of situation. The simulator's design is based on the use of solid dielectric striplines combined with railgap switches to provide power to eight a bremmstrahlung or PRS load. The fact that only one stage of energy storage is used in this system leads to significant cost savings relative to other simulators. In Phase I previous work on stripline life and railgap inductance will be extended to modern dielectrics and to provide a basis for designing a phase II system. Studies of the convolution of power will also be performed. The use of multiple stripline assemblies is planned, and the use of these devices leads to several attractive options for electron beam diode design. Once these devices have been demonstrated in a full sized Phase II configuration at 500 kV and 1 MA per unit, there may be attractive methods for combining multiple units' output to make more powerful simulators. The proposed work will lead to the development of a new type of S-ray simulator with reduced cost and size, and useful output. There are applications in the commercial sector as a low cost X-ray line radiation source.

Phase II

Contract Number: DTRA01-99-C-0081
Start Date: 7/7/99    Completed: 7/7/01
Phase II year
1999
Phase II Amount
$748,974
In Phase I, critical technologies required to build a 0.2-1 terawatt class simulation source capable of easy transportation between sites which could be built for a low cost was demonstrated. Phase II will continue this process, looking more critically at a rolled stripline power conditioning technology, requiring no water capacitors or opening switches. Successful completion of this phase would yield technology that would decrease the cost of simulator construction by a factor of two to three.