Integrated backscatter X-ray assemblies for detecting backscatter X-rays reflected by target area of article under test and associated methods

A method for detecting backscatter X-rays reflected by a target area of an article under test, comprising:

• positioning an enclosure relative to the target area of the article under test, the enclosure housing an X-ray power supply, an X-ray tube operatively coupled to the X-ray power supply and a backscatter X-ray detector, the target area comprising a target length along a longitudinal axis and a target width transverse to the longitudinal axis, the enclosure comprising a side wall facing the article under test, the side wall comprising a first segment and a second segment that form an inverted angle facing the article under test, an emitter portion of the X-ray tube disposed proximate the first segment and an aperture portion of the backscatter X-ray detector disposed proximate the second segment;
• adjusting a position of the enclosure such that the emitter portion of the X-ray tube and the aperture portion of the backscatter X-ray detector are disposed at a predetermined elevation above the article under test and a predetermined longitudinal position in relation to the target area for nondestructive inspection of a transverse portion of a surface layer of the target area;
• projecting an X-ray fan beam from the X-ray tube toward the transverse portion of the surface layer at the predetermined longitudinal position;
• detecting backscatter X-rays reflected by the article under test at the backscatter X-ray detector in response to the projecting of the X-ray fan beam, the backscatter X-rays that were detected having passed through the aperture portion to a detector array of the backscatter X-ray detector;
• and
• cooling the X-ray power supply, the X-ray tube and the backscatter X-ray detector during the projecting of the X-ray fan beam and the detecting of the backscatter X-rays using a cooling fluid disposed within the enclosure, the X-ray power supply, the X-ray tube and the backscatter X-ray detector being immersed in the cooling fluid.

An integrated backscatter X-ray assembly for detecting backscatter X-rays reflected by a target area of an article under test, comprising:

• an enclosure;
• an X-ray power supply disposed within the enclosure;
• an X-ray tube disposed within the enclosure and operatively coupled to the X-ray power supply;
• a backscatter X-ray detector disposed within the enclosure;
• a cooling fluid disposed within the enclosure such that the X-ray power supply, the X-ray tube and the backscatter X-ray detector are immersed in the cooling fluid;
• a movable base supporting the enclosure and configured to position the enclosure in relation to the target area of the article under test, wherein the target area comprises a target length along a longitudinal axis and a target width transverse to the longitudinal axis, wherein the movable base is configured to position an emitter portion of the X-ray tube and an aperture portion of the backscatter X-ray detector to a predetermined elevation above the article under test and a predetermined longitudinal position in relation to the target area for nondestructive inspection of a transverse portion of a surface layer of the target area;
• and
• a mobile platform supporting the movable base and configured to change longitudinal positions of the enclosure along the longitudinal axis in relation to the article under test to position the emitter portion of the X-ray tube and the aperture portion of the backscatter X-ray detector to a second predetermined longitudinal position for nondestructive inspection of a second transverse portion of the surface layer of the target area.