RU2310831C1 - Container - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: detecting nuclear radiation sources.

SUBSTANCE: container comprises alarm system provided with board pickups, navigation system, and system for transmitting signals from the alarm system to the information-analytic center.

EFFECT: reduced sizes.

2 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of research and / or analysis of materials by radiation methods for detecting contraband at checkpoints and customs services, for detecting highly dangerous nuclear systems embedded in vehicles.

A device for analyzing multicomponent materials is known, which comprises a γ-radiation source, a γ-radiation detector, an amplifier, a discriminator, a controller and a display. The test sample is placed between the specified source and the γ-radiation detector, passing through the sample, is attenuated in intensity, conserving the energy of γ-quanta. Next, γ-quanta are recorded by a γ-radiation detector, the pulses of the detector are amplified and fed through a counter to a computing device (controller), after processing the information is displayed (UK Patent No. 2088050, G01N 23/08, 1998).

The disadvantage of this device is its low sensitivity in the presence of a heavy metal barrier.

A known x-ray device for customs control of cargo and baggage, for the inspection of aviation and sea containers, containing an inspection chamber, means for transporting objects through the chamber, a pulsed electron accelerator with a target, a photodetector system located on the other side of the inspection chamber in the area of the fan-shaped stream of x-ray radiation ( Patent of the Russian Federation No. 2191997, G01N 23/04, 2002).

This device has high dimensions, a complex transportation system, requires a large amount of radiation protection.

A known installation for identifying objects, containing a passive transponder with an antenna mounted on the object, a transmitting and receiving path with an antenna, a threshold device and an information processing unit (Patent of the Russian Federation No. 2057334, G01N 33/02, 2002).

The device is characterized by low information capacity.

A device comprising a deuteron cyclotron, a converter for generating a fast neutron flux, a neutron flux collimator for producing a neutron beam, a scanning system for directing neutrons to an inspected object, a system for moving a neutron beam over an object’s surface, a system of gamma-ray spectrometric detectors, an analysis, processing system and display the generated image of the internal (hidden) content of the object (US Patent No. 5076993, IPC: G21G 1/06, 1991).

The device has drawbacks that do not allow it to be used for the inspection of nuclear materials hidden in neutron-slowing substances of light elements (such as water, oil, alcohol, etc.) or covered with protective shields from substances of large atomic number Z.

The known system of automatic identification of vehicles "Palm", - g. Railway transport, 2002, No. 8, p. 54-59. Belov V.V., Buyanov V.A. and etc.

The automatic identification system contains passive and active sensors with an antenna mounted on the object, a transmitting and receiving path with an antenna, and an information processing unit.

The disadvantage of the system is the inability to determine the presence of transported, hidden sources of ionizing radiation.

A known container with a burglar alarm from on-board sensors, equipped with a navigation system, as well as a communication system with a burglar alarm and information-analytical center (Patent of the Russian Federation No. 2177647, G08G 1/123, 2001. Prototype.).

The disadvantage of the prototype is the inability to detect radioactive materials smuggled illegally, and the inability to fix the loss of similar materials during their authorized transportation.

This invention eliminates the disadvantages of analogues and prototype.

The objective of the invention is to develop a control system for containers of vehicles transporting hidden or legal all kinds of sources of ionizing radiation.

At present, the detection of contraband of radioactive materials is impossible without the use of radiation-hazardous and expensive to operate external radiation sources: charged particle accelerators, x-ray equipment, gamma-ray installations, neutron generators.

In this invention, the radiation source loaded into the vehicle itself becomes an integral part of the search engine.

The technical result of the invention is to reduce the size, the control system of the transported goods, the reliability of the information, increase the spatial resolution, expand the functionality of the system, simultaneously register various types of penetrating radiation: fast neutrons and / or thermal neutrons, and / or x-rays and gamma rays, increase registration efficiency due to the length of the detector in the direction of the incident radiation.

The technical result is achieved in that in a container with a security alarm system containing on-board sensors, equipped with a navigation system and a communication system with a security alarm system and an information-analytical center, the security alarm system is equipped with a monoblock or assembly of at least three sensors made in the form of optical converters of thermal neutrons, fast neutrons and gamma radiation with a spectroscopic element in the form of a tape connected to an optical fiber at the ends of which Credited photodetectors connected to the coincidence circuit, the information processing unit and the antenna, candy bar or the assembly secretly installed in the container, wherein the transducer thermal neutrons comprises one svetosostavov ⁶ LiFZnS: Ag, or Gd ₂ O ₂ S: Tb, or ¹⁵⁷ Gd ₂ O ₂ S: Tb, or ¹⁰ BZnS: Ag, the fast neutron converter is made in the form of a polystyrene plate, and the gamma radiation converter is made of a plate - a spectrometric crystal from one of the following materials NaJ (Tl), CsJ (Na), BaF ₂ , LaCl ₃ (Ce).

The invention is illustrated in figure 1 and figure 2.

Figure 1 schematically shows a view of an ionizing radiation converter, where: 1 is a powder phosphor in the form of light compositions: ⁶ LiFZnS: Ag, or Gd ₂ O ₂ S: Tb, or ¹⁵⁷ Gd ₂ O ₂ S: Tb, or ¹⁰ BZnS: Ag ZnS: Ag, or Gd ₂ O ₂ S: Tb; ZnS: Ag or Gd ₂ O ₂ S: Tb in a mixture with a hydrogen-containing substance; 2 - spectroscopic elements in the form of tapes, 3 - optical fibers.

The effectiveness of the screen converter is determined by the length, and the spatial resolution is determined by the cross section of its sensitive element.

Figure 2 schematically shows a container with a monoblock located behind the inner lining, where: 4 - the container body, 5 - the inner lining of the container, 6 - a monoblock from a series of ionizing radiation converters.

The device operates as follows:

Fast neutrons in spectroscopic tape 2 cause recoil protons. The arising recoil proton when passing through the phosphor 1 excites scintillation emission, which propagates in all directions. To collect the light and are spectroscopic elements in the form of ribbons 2.

Spectrum-shifting ribbons 2 absorb about 80% of the primary radiation photons incident on them and emit lower-energy photons that propagate along them to the ends. The optical fiber 3 serves to transfer light to the photodetector.

As already noted, the luminosity of the phosphor and the material of the spectroscopic element are selected from the condition of overlapping the excitation spectrum of the spectroscopic element and the emission spectrum of the powder phosphor. In the latter case, the concentration of the phosphor in the core and the thickness of the tape are selected from the conditions of interception of more than 30% of the light when the exciting light passes a path equal to the thickness of the tape.

The tape of the spectroscopic element is covered with a reflective sheath with a refractive index lower than the refractive index of the tape material. Light is transported to the ends of the tape due to the total internal reflection of light from the reflective sheath.

A photodiode can be used as a photodetector for an individual element, and a CCD matrix for a screen converter.

To register thermal neutrons between plates 2, standard light compositions are located: ⁶ LiF ZnS: Ag, or Gd ₂ O ₂ S: Tb, or ¹⁵⁷ Gd ₂ O ₂ S: Tb, or ¹⁰ BZnS: Ag.

In the case of using the light composition ⁶ LiF ZnS: Ag, the nucleus of the lithium isotope captures the thermal neutron and emits triton, and alpha particles, which cause the scintillation glow of zinc sulfide.

In the case of using the light composition of Gd ₂ O ₂ S: Tb or ¹⁵⁷ Gd ₂ O ₂ S: Tb, the ^I57 Gd nucleus captures a neutron and emits a conversion electron, which excites scintillation emission in the light composition.

The light composition of Gd ₂ O ₂ S: Tb was also used to record x-ray and gamma quanta. In this light composition, under the action of x-ray and gamma quanta, charged particles arise: electrons and positrons, which cause the scintillation glow of Gd ₂ O ₂ S: Tb.

In addition, experiments showed that a powder phosphor layer could also be used to detect fast neutrons from ZnS: Ag or Gd ₂ O ₂ S: Tb light compositions with a hydrogen-containing substance with a volume content of light composition of at least 5% and not more than 14%. possible for fixing fast neutrons. Starting from a volumetric amount of a hydrogen-containing substance of more than 5%, it is already possible to detect the appearance of fast neutrons. When the amount of hydrogen-containing substances is more than 14%, there is practically no registration.

The signals from the photodetectors are transmitted to the information-analytical center, where they record the change in the general background of radiation when a source of ionizing radiation is removed or an increase in the level of radiation and its qualitative composition.

Claims (1)

A container with a security alarm system containing on-board sensors, equipped with a navigation system and a communication system with a security alarm system and an information-analytical center, characterized in that the security alarm system is equipped with a monoblock or an assembly of at least three sensors made in the form of optical thermal neutron, fast neutron, and gamma radiation transducers with a spectroscopic element in the form of a tape coated with a reflective sheath with a refractive index lower than refractor of the material of the tape, for transporting light to the ends of the tape due to the total internal reflection of light from the reflective sheath, connected to an optical fiber, at the ends of which are photodetectors connected to a matching circuit, an information processing unit and an antenna, a monoblock or assembly is hiddenly installed in a container moreover, the thermal neutron converter contains one of the light compositions: ⁶ LiFZnS: Ag or Gd ₂ O ₂ S: Tb, or ¹⁵⁷ Gd ₂ O ₂ S: Tb, or ¹⁰ BZnS: Ag, the fast neutron converter is made in the form of a polystyrene plate, and p the gamma radiation converter is made of a spectrometric crystal plate of one of the following materials: NaJ (Tl), CsJ (Na), BaF ₂ , LaCl ₃ (Ce).

Images