Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
376153000 | DETECTION OF RADIATION BY AN INDUCED NUCLEAR REACTION | 20 |
20090010373 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING AND CLASSIFYING EXPLOSIVES AND CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES - A system for detecting and classifying small amounts of explosives and other controlled substances while rejecting confounders, including a source/detector array formed of a plurality of sources and a plurality of detectors, a signal processor coupled to the source/detector array for processing data received from the detectors, a classifier coupled to the signal processor for classifying data received from the signal processor according to a plurality of algorithms, a maximal rejection classifier coupled to the classifier; and a declarative decision module coupled to the maximal rejection classifier for rendering an accurate decision regarding the contents of the object is provided. The apparatus includes an enclosure, a shield layer disposed within the enclosure, a cavity disposed within the shield layer, a plurality of neutron sources and a detection array disposed within the cavity, and a transport mechanism for moving objects through the cavity past the sources and detection array. The cavity has one or more turns which preclude a straight line trajectory through the cavity. The shield layer is water-filled to prevent stray radiation from exiting the enclosure. The use of multiple lower power neutron sources and the particular geometry of the enclosure provide a compact, relatively lightweight explosive detection system which is practical for use in airports and other public locations. | 01-08-2009 |
20090296871 | Particle detection system - A system to detect ionizing particles includes an enclosure which holds a fluid in a tensioned metastable state. The interaction of a particle with the liquid creates a respective vapor pocket that can be seen and recorded, and also results in a shock wave that can be heard and recorded. The level of tension metastability in combination with agents, such as Be and B atoms, and surfactants that minimize evaporation losses is associated with a particular type of particle. | 12-03-2009 |
20120307952 | NEUTRON DETECTOR - The Cherenkov effect is used to detect neutrons emitted by man-made radioactive materials. Water or other liquid or gas may be used as a detection medium. The water may include a dispersed or dissolved dopant having a high neutron capture cross-section, which renders the dopant able to absorb and react with neutron radiation effectively. When the dopant absorbs, or reacts with, a neutron particle, the result of the reaction may be the generation of beta particles which can be detected via the accompanying emission of light, dispersed or dissolved, according to the Cherenkov effect. | 12-06-2012 |
20130039453 | Radiation Threat Detection - Systems and methods for detecting clandestine fissile or radioactive material on the basis of emitted radiation and particles (such as neutrons and alpha particles) arising from within the material. Emission by the fissile or radioactive material is detected in conjunction with a conventional x-ray imaging system that includes an external source of illuminating penetrating radiation, at least one detector configured to detect at least the penetrating radiation and to generate a detector signal, and a processor configured as a detector signal discriminator to generate an output indicating whether the detector signal is triggered by an origin other than illuminating penetrating radiation. Active and passive modes of detection are described by some embodiments. Other embodiments are directed toward neutron detection, gamma ray detection with energy resolution, and designs of detectors to enhance the detection of clandestine nuclear material. | 02-14-2013 |
20130083879 | IN-CORE INSTRUMENT THIMBLE ASSEMBLY - A self-powered integral in-core instrument thimble assembly for monitoring the temperature and radiation levels surrounding a nuclear fuel assembly, that transmits output signals wirelessly to a remote location. The in-core instrument thimble assembly is activated by a short exposure within a reactor core and remains active after the fuel assembly is removed from the reactor core to continuously provide a remote monitoring capability for the fuel assembly as it is transported or stored at a remote location, without an external power source. | 04-04-2013 |
20140079171 | SCALABLE AND TUNABLE NEUTRON DETECTION INSTRUMENT - A method for detecting particles is presented. The method comprises generating a reaction to a plurality of particles using a converter material, wherein the converter material is operable to interact with the plurality of particles, and wherein a subset of the plurality of particles comprises neutrons. Further, the method comprises converting a response to the reaction to a readable electrical signal using a sensor, wherein the sensor comprises an array of pixels. Also, the method comprises processing the readable electrical signal from the sensor to generate information for each pixel on the array of pixels and transmitting the information to a processing unit. Also, the method comprises executing a discrimination procedure using the information for distinguishing between instances of impingement of neutrons and non-neutron particles on the array of pixels. Further, the method comprises determining the radionuclide or non-radionuclide source of origin of the neutron and non-neutron particles. | 03-20-2014 |
20150036778 | REACTOR STATE MONITORING APPARATUS AND MONITORING METHOD THEREOF - A reactor state monitoring apparatus including: a first gamma ray-dose measurement device that detects and measures an atmospheric radiation dose caused by radioactive substances on a containment vessel side respective to a biological shielding wall surrounding a pressure vessel and outside the pressure vessel; a second gamma ray-dose measurement device that detects and measures a radiation dose on the pressure vessel side respective to the biological shielding wall; a fuel radiation measuring device that detects and measures a radiation dose of fuel in the pressure vessel; and a water amount evaluation device that calculates a difference between radiation doses measured by the fuel radiation measuring device and the first gamma ray-dose measurement device as a corrected fuel radiation dose, and acquires a cooling water level as a water level evaluation value, based on the radiation dose measured by the second gamma ray-dose measurement device and the corrected fuel radiation dose. | 02-05-2015 |
20160202360 | Particle Detection System | 07-14-2016 |
376154000 | By fission | 12 |
20080240329 | DETECTING SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIALS IN SUSPECT CONTAINERS USING HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA RAYS EMITTED BY FISSION PRODUCTS - A method and a system for detecting the presence of special nuclear materials in a suspect container. The system and its method include irradiating the suspect container with a beam of neutrons, so as to induce a thermal fission in a portion of the special nuclear materials, detecting the gamma rays that are emitted from the fission products formed by the thermal fission, to produce a detector signal, comparing the detector signal with a threshold value to form a comparison, and detecting the presence of the special nuclear materials using the comparison. | 10-02-2008 |
20090175401 | NON-INTRUSIVE METHOD TO IDENTIFY PRESENCE OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS USING ENERGETIC PROMPT NEUTRONS FROM NEUTRON-INDUCED FISSION - Methods and systems for non-intrusively detecting the existence of fissile materials in a container via the measurement of energetic prompt neutrons are disclosed. The methods and systems use the unique nature of the prompt neutron energy spectrum from neutron-induced fission arising from the emission of neutrons from almost fully accelerated fragments to unambiguously identify fissile material. These signals from neutron-induced fission are unique and allow the detection of any material in the actinide region of the nuclear periodic table. | 07-09-2009 |
20090262882 | DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN CLASSES OF FISSIONABLE MATERIAL - A first pulsed beam of charged particles from a particle accelerator is accelerated toward a first target that is configured to emit a fast neutron beam in response to being struck by an accelerated particle such that the fast neutron beam is directed toward a physical region. The last neutron beam includes a neutron having an energy sufficient to cause fission in a fissionable material. Data from a sensor configured to detect radiation of a fission product is accessed, and before accelerating a second pulsed beam of charged particles, whether the physical region includes a fissionable material based on the data from the sensor is determined. | 10-22-2009 |
20100046690 | Apparatus and Method for Detection of Fissile Material Using Active Interrogation - A system for interrogating a package, container, vehicle, or similar examination article for the presence of nuclear material. The system typically includes a source of photo-fission energy configured to irradiate the examination article and trigger fission of a fissile or a fissionable material present in the examination article and generate a plurality of fission products, wherein at least one of the plurality of fission products produces a plurality of fission neutrons. A neutron-to-gamma-ray-converter material may be configured to capture up to all of the plurality of fission neutrons and upon capture to emit internal gamma radiation. A gamma radiation detector is typically configured to detect at least a portion of the internal gamma radiation. | 02-25-2010 |
20110096886 | Method and System for Detecting Special Nuclear Materials - A method and system for detecting special nuclear materials are disclosed. Said method and system detect the special nuclear materials by making use of the photofission characteristic and thermal neutron induced fission characteristic thereof. In one preferred embodiment, the high density and/or high atomic number region in the object to be detected is also detected first as a suspicious region. | 04-28-2011 |
20120082282 | METHODS RELATING TO PHOTONUCLEAR DETECTION - Methods relating to photonuclear detection are disclosed. A method of operating a photonuclear detection system may include transmitting photons toward a container for a duration of a first time period. The method may further include waiting for a duration of a second time period substantially equal to a detector recovery time of a radiation detector proximate the container. Additionally, the method may include measuring for induced delayed signatures for a duration of a third time period. | 04-05-2012 |
20120148004 | Apparatus and Method for Directional and Spectral Analysis of Neutrons - A neutron detection system may include a volume of neutron moderating material, and a plurality of solid state neutron detection devices disposed within the volume of neutron moderating material, wherein some of the neutron detection devices suitable for transduction of primary reaction products resulting from a neutron interaction event, wherein some of the solid state neutron detection devices include two or more solid state neutron detection elements, and wherein the solid state neutron detection elements are configured for omnidirectional detection of impinging neutrons. | 06-14-2012 |
20120155592 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING NUCLEAR MATERIAL - The present specification discloses a system for detecting nuclear material based on at least one source of probing radiation and the radiation signatures generated from interrogating an object under inspection. In addition, the present specification describes a threshold-activation detector capable of detecting prompt neutrons, via the activation, after the source's blinding radiation has stopped. The threshold-activation detector can be manufactured from liquid fluorocarbons that allow for the detection of beta radiation and gamma rays. | 06-21-2012 |
20130208842 | NON-INTRUSIVE METHOD TO IDENTIFY PRESENCE OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS USING ENERGETIC PROMPT NEUTRONS FROM NEUTRON-INDUCED FISSION - Methods and systems for non-intrusively detecting the existence of fissile materials in a container via the measurement of energetic prompt neutrons are disclosed. The methods and systems use the unique nature of the prompt neutron energy spectrum from neutron-induced fission arising from the emission of neutrons from almost fully accelerated fragments to unambiguously identify fissile material. These signals from neutron-induced fission are unique and allow the detection of any material in the actinide region of the nuclear periodic table. | 08-15-2013 |
20130279639 | METHOD FOR DETECTING NUCLEAR MATERIAL BY MEANS OF NEUTRON INTERROGATION, AND RELATED DETECTION SYSTEM - A method for detecting nuclear material in an object analysed by neutron interrogation with an associated particle tube, where the method includes steps of detection of coinciding pulses by detector pixels of at least one matrix of detector pixels, where a step of detection of coinciding pulses leads to the formation of an event which reflects a fission reaction which occurs in the nuclear material, where the method includes a search for adjoining pixels amongst the pixels which have detected coinciding pulses, a grouping of adjoining pixels into groups of adjoining pixels, a count of the pixels and/or groups of adjoining pixels which have detected coinciding pulses, and a validation of the occurrence of an event provided at least three pixels and/or groups of adjoining pixels are counted. | 10-24-2013 |
20140270034 | Detection of Special Nuclear Material and Other Contraband by Prompt and/or Delayed Signatures from Photofission - In accordance with embodiments of the invention, at least the potential presence of Special Nuclear Material (“SNM”) is determined by the detection of prompt neutrons, prompt gamma rays, delayed neutrons, and/or delayed gamma rays from photofission, via time-of-flight (“TOF”) spectroscopic methods. Methods and systems are disclosed. | 09-18-2014 |
20140321588 | Integrated Primary and Special Nuclear Material Alarm Resolution - The present specification discloses methods for inspecting an object. The method includes scanning an object in a two-step process. In the primary scan, a truck or cargo container (container) is completely scanned with a fan beam radiation, the transmitted radiation is measured with an array of detectors, and the transmission information and optionally the fission signatures are analyzed to determine the presence of high-density, high-Z and fissionable materials. If the container alarms in one or more areas, the areas are subjected to a secondary scan. This is done by precisely repositioning the container to the location of the suspect areas, adjusting the scanning system to focus on the suspect areas, performing a stationary irradiation of the areas, and analyzing the measured feature signatures to clear or confirm the presence of SNM. | 10-30-2014 |