Separation column inspection using off axis gamma scanning
AssigneeEcolab USA Inc.
InventorsDaryl Hanson, Charles Winfield
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of inspecting a separation vessel may utilize off axis gamma scanning. During scanning, a gamma radiation source can emit gamma radiation through a separation vessel toward a detector, and the detector can detect radiation emitted by the gamma radiation source and passing through the separation vessel. The gamma radiation source may be positioned at a first vertical elevation along the separation vessel and the detector positioned at a second vertical elevation along the separation vessel different than the first vertical elevation. As a result, a radiation path may be defined between the gamma radiation source and the detector that transects the separation vessel at a non-zero degree angle with respect to a horizontal plane.
Claims23
A method of inspecting a separation vessel using gamma scanning, the method comprising:
- emitting gamma radiation by a gamma radiation source through a separation vessel toward a detector;
- and
- detecting, by the detector, radiation emitted by the gamma radiation source and passing through the separation vessel;
- wherein the gamma radiation source is positioned at a first vertical elevation along the separation vessel and the detector is positioned at a second vertical elevation along the separation vessel different than the first vertical elevation, thereby defining a radiation path between the gamma radiation source and the detector transecting the separation vessel at a non-zero degree angle with respect to a horizontal plane.
A method of scanning a separation vessel, the method comprising:
- positioning a gamma radiation source and a detector on opposed sides of a separation vessel;
- positioning the gamma radiation source and the detector at a plurality of different vertical elevation pairs along a length of the separation vessel, wherein at each of the plurality of different vertical elevation pairs the gamma radiation source at a different vertical elevation than the detector such that a radiation path between the gamma radiation source and the detector transects the separation vessel at a non-zero degree angle;
- and
- at each of the different vertical elevation pairs, emitting gamma radiation by the gamma radiation source through the separation vessel and detecting, by the detector, radiation emitted by the gamma radiation source and passing through the separation vessel.
A separation vessel gamma radiation scanning system, the system comprising:
- a separation vessel;
- a gamma radiation source;
- and
- a detector;
- wherein the gamma radiation source and the detector are positioned on opposed sides of the separation vessel with the gamma radiation source positioned at a different vertical elevation than the detector such that a radiation path between the gamma radiation source and the detector transects the separation vessel at a non-zero degree angle with respect to a horizontal plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.