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US 5,204,527 AGranted
Neutron particle energy detector
AssigneeHalliburton Company
InventorRonnie J. Buchanan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method utilize a neutron sensitive medium in which initially existing atoms of the medium are divided into particles, reaction energy and neutron energy. The medium undergoes polarization in response to the reaction energy and the neutron energy. This produces an electrical charge gradient which is proportional to the energies and which can be sensed and analyzed to indicate just the neutron energy.
Claims32
A method of measuring neutron energy, comprising:
- placing a lithium tantalate crystal in a field of neutrons to be measured so that the crystal is polarized in response to each nuclear reaction between a neutron from the field and a lithium atom in the crystal;
- flowing an electrical current having a magntiude responsive to the polarization of the crystal;
- and
- determining in response to the electrical current the energy of the neutron from the field reacting with the lithium atom in the crystal, including generating a neutron energy spectrum.
1 more element
An apparatus for measuring neutron energy, comprising:
- means for producing nuclear reactions within itself in response to neutrons moving into said means, said means including a single body to which said nuclear reactions are limited, said body comprising a medium wherein a nuclear reaction causes a potential difference between two sides of said body;
- means, connected to said two sides of said body, for sensing the potential difference;
- and
- means for determining an energy spectrum of the neutrons in response to the sensed potential difference.
1 more element
A neutron detector comprising:
- a lithium tantalate crystal having opposed sides between which electrical charge gradients are produced in response to neutrons entering said crystal and generating nuclear reactions with lithium atoms in said crystal, each of said nuclear reactions including the production of an alpha particle and a hydrogen-3 atom and the release of energy Q and energy E.sub.n ;
- and
- means, connected to said opposed sides of said lithium tantalate crystal, for producing in response to the electrical charge gradients a neutron energy spectrum representative of the energies E.sub.n of the neutrons causing said nuclear reactions.
A method of measuring neutron energy, comprising:
- placing a lithium tantalate crystal in a field of neutrons to be measured so that the crystal is polarized in response to each nuclear reaction between a neutron from the field and a lithium atom in the crystal, wherein said placing a lithium tantalate crystal includes lowering the crystal into a well;
- flowing an electrical current having a magnitude responsive to the polarization of the crystal;
- and
- determining in response to the electrical current the energy of the neutron from the field reacting with the lithium atom in the crystal.
1 more element
An apparatus for measuring neutron energy, comprising:
- means for producing nuclear reactions within itself in response to neutrons moving into said means, said means including a single body to which said nuclear reactions are limited, said body comprisign a medium wherein a nuclear reaction causes a potential difference between two sides of said body, said medium including a crystal having said two sides, said crystal including lithium tantalate;
- means, connected to said two sides of said body, for sensing the potential difference, said means including:
- a resistance connected to said two sides of said crystal;
- and
- an amplifier connected across said resistance;
- means, connected to said means for sensing, for processing the sensed potential in a well;
- and
- a housing having said medium, said means for sensing and said means for processing disposed therein, said housing adapted to be lowered into a well.
5 more elements
An apparatus for measuring neutron energy, comprising:
- means for producing nuclear reactions within itself in response to neutrons moving into said means, said means including a single body to which said nuclear reactions are limited, said body comprising a medium wherein a nuclear reaction causes a potential difference between two sides of said body;
- means, connected to said two sides of said body, for sensing the potential difference;
- means, connected to said means for sensing, for processing the sensed potential in a well;
- and
- a housing having said medium, said means for sensing and said means for processing disposed therein, said housing adapted to be lowered into a well.
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A neutron detector, comprising:
- a lithium tantalate crystal having opposed sides between which an electrical charge gradient is produced in response to a neutron entering said crystal and generating a nuclear reaction with a lithium atom in said crystal, said nuclear reaction including the production of an alpha particle and a hydrogen-3 atom and the release of energy Q and energy E.sub.n ;
- means, connected to said opposed sides of said lithium tantalate crystal, for producing in response to the electrical charge gradient data representative of the energy E.sub.n of the neutron causing said nuclear reaction;
- and
- a housing having said lithium tantalate crystal and said means for producing disposed therein, said housing adapted for being lowered into a well.
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A method of detecting neutron flux, comprising:
- lowering a lithium tantalate crystal into a well;
- exposing the lithium tantalate crystal to neutron impingement in the well;
- and
- measuring an output signal from the crystal.
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An energy measuring device responsive to neutron impingement, comprising:
- crystalline lithium tantalate;
- a housing for lowering said crystalline lithium tantalate into a well;
- and
- two electrodes connected to said crystalline lithium tantalate so that charge gradients exist between said electrodes in proportional response to energy deposited or released within said crystalline lithium tantalate by neutron impingement from within the well.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.