Method and Apparatus for Fabricating Boron Coated Straws for Neutron Detectors
AssigneeProportional Technologies, Inc.
InventorJeffrey L. Lacy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and a process are disclosed for straw tube formation utilized in manufacturing boron coated straw neutron detectors. A preferred embodiment of the process for creating a thin walled straw for use in a boron-coated straw neutron detector comprises providing foil having a boron coating on a surface, forming the coated foil into a cylindrical tube having a longitudinal seam and the boron coated surface on the inside of the cylindrical tube, and then ultrasonically welding closed the seam of the tube. Optionally, the cylindrical tube can then be drawn through a die to form a straw tube having a non-circular cross section, preferably a star-shaped cross section.
Claims22
A process for creating a thin walled straw tube for use in a boron-coated straw neutron detector comprising:
- providing foil having a boron coating on a surface;
- forming the coated foil into a cylindrical tube having a longitudinal seam an interior boron coated surface;
- and
- ultrasonically welding together the edges of the seam of the tube.
A process for creating a thin walled straw tube for use in a boron-coated straw neutron detector comprising:
- providing foil having a boron coating on a surface;
- forming the coated foil into a cylindrical tube having a longitudinal seam and an interior boron coated surface by folding the foil around first rod slightly smaller in diameter than the diameter of the tube being formed in order to compensate for spring following welding;
- removing the cylindrical tube from the first rod and inserting a second rod having an outside diameter approximately equal in diameter to the desired inside diameter of the cylindrical tube that is being formed;
- and
- welding together the edges of the seam of the tube.
A process for creating a thin walled straw tube for use in a boron-coated straw neutron detector comprising:
- providing a reel of foil ribbon having a boron coating on a surface;
- pulling the coated foil ribbon through a series of forming dye and over a cylindrical mandrel to form a cylindrical tube having a longitudinal seam an interior boron coated surface;
- welding together the edges of the seam of the tube;
- cutting the straw tube to the desired length after welding.
An apparatus for manufacturing straw tubes from foil ribbon comprising:
- a reel comprising a foil ribbon;
- a series of forming dye through which the foil ribbon is to be pulled, each dye comprising a slot for gradually folding the foil ribbon into a cylindrical straw.
- a wheel drive mechanism for pulling the foil through the dye, the wheel drive mechanism comprising a pair of rotatable wheels, a pair of bands, a pair of pulleys, each bands operably connected to one wheel and one pulley, wherein rotation of the pulleys rotates the wheels;
- and
- ultrasonic welding machine for welding together the edges of the cylindrical tube after formation.
In a radiation detector comprising boron-coated straw tubes, the improvement comprising boron coated straw tubes being formed from rolled foil and having a longitudinal seam welded closed through ultrasonic welding.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.