Direction sensitive neutron detector
US9557423B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 29, 2010 |
| Grant date | Jan 31, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 3, 2035 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E30/30
- WIPO fieldEnvironmental technology
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A neutron detector includes a pressure vessel, an electrically conductive field cage assembly within the pressure vessel and an imaging subsystem. A pressurized gas mixture of CF4, 3He and 4He at respective partial pressures is used. The field cage establishes a relatively large drift region of low field strength, in which ionization electrons generated by neutron-He interactions are directed toward a substantially smaller amplification region of substantially higher field strength in which the ionization electrons undergo avalanche multiplication resulting in scintillation of the CF4 along scintillation tracks. The imaging system generates two-dimensional images of the scintillation patterns and employs track-finding to identify tracks and deduce the rate and direction of incident neutrons. One or more photo-multiplier tubes record the time-profile of the scintillation tracks permitting the determination of the third coordinate.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.