Device And Method For Non-Invasive Detection Of Hazardous Materials In The Aquatic Environment

Abstract

The present invention is a device and method for the non-invasive detection of hazardous materials in an aquatic environment, wherein the device comprises a sealed housing, in which there is a fast neutron generator (101) surrounded by α particle detectors (106), and gamma quantum detector (111), wherein the fast neutron generator (101) emits neutrons in the direction of the tested object (107) through the neutron and/or gamma quanta guide (108), and the gamma quanta detector records gamma quanta emitted by the nuclei of the tested object (107) transmitted through neutron and/or gamma quanta guide (110).

Claims

1. An apparatus for the non-invasive detection of hazardous materials in an aquatic environment comprising a sealed housing, in which there is a fast neutron generator (101) surrounded by α particle detectors (106), and gamma quanta detector (111), wherein the fast neutron generator (101) emits neutrons in the direction of the tested object (107) and the gamma quanta detector (111) detects emitted by nuclei of the tested object (107) gamma quanta, characterized in that it further comprises neutrons and/or gamma quanta guides (108), connected with fast neutron generator (101) and with the gamma quanta detector (111), respectively.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the neutrons and/or gamma quanta guides (108), (110) are in the form of a cylinder with closed bases, preferably telescopic.

3. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that inside the neutrons and/or gamma quanta guides (108), (110) there is a vacuum or the guides are filled with a gas, preferably air, helium, argon.

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the neutrons and/or gamma quanta guides (108), (110) are made of a material comprising: stainless steel, aluminum, carbon fibers.

5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the neutrons and/or gamma quanta guides (108), (110) are covered from the inside with a thin layer of neutron-reflecting material, preferably graphite.

6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the neutrons and/or gamma quanta guides (108) coupled to the fast neutron generator (101) and the neutrons and/or gamma quanta guide (110) connected to the gamma quanta detector (111) can be changed wherein the angle between the neutrons and/or gamma quanta guide (108), and neutrons and/or gamma quanta guide (110) is in the range from ˜0 to ˜90 degrees.

7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the gamma quanta detector (111) is a semiconductor or scintillator detection system.

8. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the fast neutron generator (111) has in a position opposed to the neutrons and/or gamma quanta guide (108) the α particle detector (106c) and in a position perpendicular to the guide (108) α particle detectors (106a) and (106b).

9. A method for non-invasive detection of hazardous materials in an aquatic environment, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) generating fast neutrons with a specific energy range from 5 MeV to 20 MeV using neutron generator (101), b) collimation of fast neutrons generated in step a) in the direction of the interrogated object (107), c) detecting gamma quanta emitted in the transition from the excited state to the ground state of nuclei of the tested object, wherein the generated fast neutrons and gamma quanta emitted are transmitted in the neutrons and/or gamma quanta guides (108), (110).

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the gamma quanta are detected in coincidence with α particles detected by the detector (106c) placed opposite to the guide (108).

11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that one rejects signals from the gamma quanta detector (111) being in coincidence with signals of the a particle detectors (106a) and (106b).

12. A method according to claim 9, characterized in that one measures the position of neutrons and/or gamma quanta guides (108), (110) and the time of gamma quanta reaction in the gamma quanta detector (111) relative to the signal from the detector (106c).

Description

[0017] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawing, in which

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a scheme of an apparatus for non-invasive detection of hazardous materials in an aquatic environment,

[0019] FIG. 2 shows a scheme of the device shown in FIG. 1 with the first settings of guides,

[0020] FIG. 3 shows a diagram of the device shown in FIG. 1 with the second settings of guides,

[0021] FIG. 4 shows a cross-section of the gamma quanta and/or neutrons guide,

[0022] FIG. 5 shows a front view of the gamma quanta and/or neutrons guide,

[0023] FIG. 6 shows a scheme of a system for changing the position of the gamma quanta and/or neutrons guide.

EXAMPLE

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a general scheme of an apparatus for non-invasive detection of hazardous materials in an aquatic environment 100 which is the subject of the invention. Neutron generator 101 collides deuterium ions 102 with a tritium target 103 in the reaction: D+T.fwdarw.α+n. Because of the much higher energy released in this reaction compared to the energy of deuterium, both α particle 104 and neutron 105 are produced almost isotropically in space and move almost back-to-back. The α particle 104 emerging from the neutron generation is recorded by the detector system 106a, 106b, 106c placed on the walls of the generator 101. It may consist of a silicon or scintillation detector with dimensions of a few cm. Selected neutrons move towards the interrogated item 107 within the guide 108 of specified dimensions, e.g. with a diameter of 30 cm and a maximum length of 3 m with the air pumped out. Alternatively, the guide may be filled with air or another gas, for example Helium. This prevents the absorption and slowing down of neutrons in the water. The guide 108 is a telescopic tube constructed of stainless steel with a thickness of approx. 1 mm, ending on both sides with a significantly thinner sheet, for example: 0.5 mm. Fast neutrons travelling inside the examined item are absorbed and/or scattered inelastically on atomic nuclei of the tested subject exciting them, e.g. in the following reaction:

neutron+nucleus.fwdarw.excited nucleus+neutron.fwdarw.nucleus+neutron+gamma quantum.

[0025] Nuclei while deexciting to the ground state emit gamma quanta 109, which energy is specific to each nuclei. Part of the gamma quanta emitted by the nuclei move towards the gamma quanta detector within the guide 110 of a certain size, from which the air was pumped out. As in the previous case, the guide may alternatively be filled with air or another gas, e.g. Helium. This prevents the absorption of gamma quanta and their scattering in water. The guide 110 is also made of a telescopic tube constructed of stainless steel with a thickness of approx. 1 mm and ending on both sides with a significantly thinner sheet, for example 0.5 mm. Detector 111 performs the measurement of energy of the recorded gamma quanta 109. In addition, one determines the impact position of gamma quantum 109 in the detector 111 and the time elapsed between the registration of α particle 104 and the registration of signals in the gamma quanta detector 111. The measurement of time and the location of α particle 104 and gamma quantum 109 interaction together with the known location of the target 103 and changing of the relative distance and angle of the gamma quanta guide 110 relative to the neutron guide 108 allows for the determination of the density distribution of the dangerous substance in the interrogated object. FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate schematically how the reconfiguration of the guides provide determination of the depth beneath the bed (e.g. In the mud), at which gamma quanta reaching the detector have reacted. If the ratio of the diameter of the guides 208 and 210 and their length is sufficiently small (less than 0.14) the depth at which gamma quanta reacted can be determined by measuring the time Δt elapsed since a particle 204 registration until the signal is registered in the gamma quanta detector 211. It can be expressed as:

Δt−t.sub.α=t.sub.n+t′.sub.n+t.sub.γ+t′.sub.γ,

[0026] where tα is the time of flight of generated α particle 204 from the target 203 to the detector 206c, t′n and to denote respectively the time of flight of neutron 205 from the target in the guide 208 over a well-known distance ln and the time of flight of neutron 205 from the end of the neutron guide 208 to the reaction site 212 in the tested object 207. Similarly, tγ is time of flight of gamma quantum 209 in the guide 210 of a known and fixed length lγ and t′γ denotes the time of flight of the gamma quantum 209 from the reaction site 212 of neutron 205 inside the tested object 207 to the entry 213 of the guide 210. These times can be expressed then by well-known particle velocities:

Δt−l.sub.α/v.sub.α=l.sub.n/v.sub.n+x/v.sub.n+l.sub.γ/c+y/c.

[0027] Velocities of α particle 204 and neutron 205 are fixed and determined by their known energies and gamma quanta fly at the speed of light c. Distance x of neutron 205 from the end 214 of the guide 208 to the reaction site 212 in the object 207, and the distance y of gamma quantum 209 from the reaction site 212 of neutron 205 to the entry 213 of the guide 210 are connected by the following relation:

x/y=cos φ,

[0028] where φ is the angle between the axes of the guides 208 and 210, which can be changed. This allows one to determine at what distance from the entry 214 of guide 208 the reaction took place:

[00001]$x=\left(\Delta .Math..Math.t-\frac{l_{\alpha }}{v_{\alpha }}-\frac{l_n}{v_n}-\frac{l_{\gamma }}{c}\right).Math.\frac{{\mathrm{cv}}_n.Math..Math.\cos .Math..Math.\varphi }{c.Math.\cos .Math..Math.\varphi +v_n}.$

[0029] If the diameter to length ratio of guides 208 and 210 is large, measuring the time Δt allows one to determine the depth x at which the neutron 205 has interacted by looking for such a place in area 215 common for both guides 208 and 210, for which the sum of the time of flight of neutron 205 from target 203 to that point and the time of flight of the gamma quantum 209 from this place to the detector 211 is nearest to the measured time Δt.

[0030] Additional information on the depth can be obtained by changing the relative position of guides 208 and 210 and by changing the angle between them. Changing distances d.sub.1 and d.sub.2 (FIG. 2) between guides 208 and 210 allows for the registration of the gamma quanta emitted from different parts of object 207, and also at various depths. This creates the possibility to determine the density distribution of the dangerous substance in the object 207.

[0031] Neutrons and gamma quanta guides are made of telescopic tubes consisting of several segments with a length of 50 cm connected to a rubber gasket (FIG. 4). Changing the length of the guides can be carried out manually, before placing the entire device in the water, or by means of a mechanical system controlled from the module 118. An example of such a system is shown in FIG. 4. The guide modules 302, 303 and 304 are connected in a telescopic way so that module 302 can be put inside section 301 and module 304 can be put inside module 303. Rubber seals 305, 306 and 307 in the shape of rings, as shown in FIG. 5, make the whole construction hermetic. The length of guide 300 may be adjusted by means of a system of tapped rods 310, 311 and 312 with thickness of e.g. 10 mm mounted on the support rails 314, 315, 316 and 317. Rotation of rod 310 drives another element 311, which in turn causes movement of rod 312. The system for guide 300 length adjustment may consist of e.g. four sets of rods 318, 319, 320 and 321 arranged as shown in FIG. 3b. Each set is driven by a motor 309. The connection of guide 300 with engines is performed with flange 301 to seal and covers the entire system from water. Changing the angle of guide 300 with respect to the lower face 322 of the device 200 is provided by the control system 308. Each part of guide 300 is lined with a thin (approx. 1 mm) layer of material with good neutron reflective capabilities, e.g. with graphite.

[0032] The changes in relative position of the neutron guide 208 and gamma quanta guide 210 preserving the hermeticity of the device 200 may be implemented as in FIG. 6, where one changes only the position of gamma quanta guide 210. The guide 400 is connected to the flange 401, which in turn is connected hermetically to the bottom 402 of the device 200. It is made of a material that can be easily compressed and stretched, allowing the guide 400 to move together with the gamma quanta detector 403. This can be a thin corrugated sheet metal, corrugated plastic layer or leather. The guide 400 together with motors 404, a system for changing the angle 405 and gamma quantum detector 403 are connected to a driving system 406 based on e.g. linear traverse providing changes of position of the guide 400 and the detector 403.

[0033] Gamma quanta detector 111 shown in FIG. 1 may be constructed based on known prior art solutions for gamma quanta detection, using, e.g. a scintillation crystal or a semiconductor. Inside the device 100 the position of the detector can be changed. Signals from α particle detectors 106a, 106b, 106c and gamma quanta 111 are transmitted through signal lines 112 and 113 to a signals sampling module which performs data acquisition 114. In order to remove background resulting from reactions of neutrons emitted not towards the tested object 107, all signals from the gamma quanta detector 111 recorded in coincidence with signals from a particle detectors 106a and 106b are discarded, while signals in coincidence with the detector 106c are treated as gamma quanta from the interrogated item. Next, Module 114 sends the data using a cable or radio signal to a processor module 120 located on the vessel 117, from which device 100 is controlled by the control module 118. The signals from this module are transmitted by wire 119 or radio waves to the receiving module 120 which controls modules 101, 106, 111, 114 and motor 121 which allows the device 100 movement.

[0034] Identification of the substance 107 is performed by module 117. It is performed on the basis of the number of registered characteristic gamma quanta coming from the 12C nuclei (energy 4.43 MeV), 16O (6.13 MeV energy), 14N (energies 2.31 MeV and 5.11 MeV) and other elements constituting the test substances, such as 19F (energy 1.5 MeV and 3.9 MeV), 32S (3.8 MeV energy and 35Cl (3.0 MeV energy). Taking into account different probabilities of neutron reactions with different nuclides and detection efficiency of gamma quanta with different energies the number of atoms of each of the elements that build the tested item is reconstructed and then it is compared with the known stoichiometry of hazardous substances stored in the database of module 117.