Patent · US Expired

Length of stain dosimeter

US5302351A · kind A · utility

2Cited by
8References
4Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 16, 1992
Grant dateApr 12, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 16, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N31/224
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Payload customers for the Space Shuttle have recently expressed concerns about the possibility of their payloads at an adjacent pad being contaminated by plume effluents from a shuttle at an active pad as they await launch on an inactive pad. As part of a study to satisfy such concerns a ring of inexpensive dosimeters was deployed around the active pad at the inter-pad distance. However, following a launch, dosimeters cannot be read for several hours after the exposure. As a consequence factors such as different substrates, solvent systems, and possible volatilization of HCl from the badges were studied. This observation led to the length of stain (LOS) dosimeters of this invention. Commercial passive LOS dosimeters are sensitive only to the extent of being capable of sensing 2 ppm to 20 ppm if the exposure is 8 hours. To map and quantitate the HCl generated by Shuttle launches, and in the atmosphere within a radius of 1.5 miles from the active pad, a sensitivity of 2 ppm HCl in the atmospheric gases on an exposure of 5 minutes is required. A passive length of stain dosimeter has been developed having a sensitivity rendering it capable of detecting a gas in a concentration as low a…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.