Cable inspection device and cable inspection method

A cable inspection method for non-destructively inspecting a cable, the method comprising:

• (A) arranging a neutron source and a neutron detector in relation to the cable that is configured so as to include a plurality of metal wires;
• (B) by the neutron source, emitting neutrons to an irradiation region on an outer peripheral surface of the cable;
• and
• (C) detecting target neutrons, wherein the target neutrons are among the neutrons released from the cable as a result of the emitting and incident on a detection surface of the neutron detector, and each have an energy equal to or lower than a predetermined value that is lower than an energy of a fast neutron,
• wherein in a longitudinal direction of the cable, the detection surface includes a part positioned within the irradiation region and a part positioned outside the irradiation region,
• the method further comprises:
• at (C), acquiring reference data, then generating detection data, the detection data representing, for each of multiple positions on the detection surface in the longitudinal direction, a number of the target neutrons incident on the position,
• the reference data representing, for each of the positions on the detection surface in the longitudinal direction, a number of the target neutrons incident on the position when the neutrons are emitted to a sound cable having a same structure as a structure of the inspected cable, where the number in the reference data varies depending on the position in the longitudinal direction;
• and
• at (C), generating processed data that represent, for each of the positions in the longitudinal direction, a difference or a ratio between the number in the reference data and the number in the detection data.

A cable inspection method for non-destructively inspecting a cable, the method comprising:

• (A) arranging a neutron source and a neutron detector in relation to the cable that is configured so as to include a plurality of metal wires;
• (B) by the neutron source, emitting neutrons to an irradiation region on an outer peripheral surface of the cable;
• and
• (C) detecting target neutrons and measuring the number of the detected target neutrons, wherein the target neutrons are among the neutrons released from the cable as a result of the emitting and incident on a detection surface of the neutron detector, and each have an energy equal to or lower than a predetermined value that is lower than an energy of a fast neutron,
• wherein the method further comprises performing (B) and (C) in a state where the neutron detector is arranged by (A) at a front position, an opposite position, or an intermediate position,
• the front position being a position facing the irradiation region,
• the opposite position being a position facing an opposite region that is on the outer peripheral surface and is positioned on a side opposite to the irradiation region,
• the intermediate position being a position facing an intermediate region that is on the outer peripheral surface and is positioned intermediately between the irradiation region and the opposite region in a peripheral direction of the cable,
• wherein as the intermediate position, there are first and second intermediate positions opposite to each other with respect to the cable, and
• the method further comprises repeating (A) to (C) so as to arranging, at (A) of each time, the neutron detector at one of the front position, the opposite position, the first intermediate position, and the second intermediate position, and performing (B) and (C) for each arrangement of the front position, the opposite position, the first intermediate position, and the second intermediate position.