Performance Evaluation Of An Irradiation Facility Using An Electron Accelerator

Irradiation parameters over a period of seven years have been evaluated for a radiation processing electron accelerator facility. The parameters monitored during this time were the electron beam energy, linearity of beam current, linearity of dose with the reciprocal value of the samples speed, and dose uniformity along the scanning area after a maintenance audit performed by the electron accelerator manufacturer. The electron energy was determined from the depth-dose curve by using a two piece aluminum wedge and measuring the practical range from the obtained curves. The linearity of dose with beam current, and reciprocal value of the speed and dose uniformity along the scanning area of the electron beam were determined by measuring the dose under different beam current and cart conveyor speed conditions using film dosimetry. The results of the experiments have shown that the energy in the range from 1 to 5 MeV has not changed by more than 15% from the High Voltage setting of the machine over the evaluation period, and dose linearity with beam current and cart conveyor speed has not changed. The dose uniformity along the scanning direction of the beam showed a dose uniformity of 90% or better for energies between 2 and 5 MeV, however for 1 MeV electrons this value was reduced to 80%. This parameter can be improved by changing the beam optics settings in the control console of the accelerator though.