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US 9,476,747 B2Granted
Isotope specific arbitrary material flow meter
AssigneeLawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
InventorsChristopher P. J. Barty, John C. Post, Edwin Jones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A laser-based mono-energetic gamma-ray source is used to provide non-destructive and non-intrusive, quantitative determination of the absolute amount of a specific isotope contained within pipe as part of a moving fluid or quasi-fluid material stream.
Claims18
An isotope-specific material flow meter, comprising:
- a mono-energetic x-ray or gamma ray source adapted to produce mono-energetic x-rays or gamma rays of a predetermined energy level which induces nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF) in a predetermined target isotope;
- a conduit for transporting materials at a predetermined material transport rate to pass and be interrogated by the mono-energetic x-ray or gamma-ray source;
- and
- a mono-energetic x-ray or gamma ray absorption detection system adapted to measure an attenuation level of the mono-energetic x-ray or gamma ray signal as a function of time and a corresponding amount of the target isotope present in the interrogated material that is passing the source at the material transport rate, wherein said mono-energetic x-ray or gamma ray source comprises:
- an electron source for generating a train of spaced electron bunches;
- a radio frequency (RF) linear accelerator for accelerating said electron bunches into a laser-electron beam interaction region to produce accelerated electron bunches, wherein the transit time of each electron bunch of said accelerated electron bunches through said laser-electron beam interaction region is both greater than the duration of said each electron bunch and greater than the spacing between said spaced electron bunches;
- and
- a laser system for producing a laser pulse having a duration at least as long as a transit time of said laser pulse through said laser-electron beam interaction region, wherein said laser system is arranged so that said laser pulse traverses said laser-electron beam interaction region to interact with ail of said accelerated electron bunches and thereby produce said mono-energetic x-rays or gamma-rays.
5 more elements
A method of measuring the flow rate of a specific isotope, comprising:
- providing a beam of mono-energetic x-rays or gamma rays from a source of mono-energetic x-rays or gamma rays, wherein said beam comprises mono-energetic x-rays or gamma rays of a predetermined energy level which induces nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF) in a predetermined target isotope;
- directing said beam from said source onto a mono-energetic x-ray or gamma ray absorption detection system;
- transporting materials through said beam to produce transported materials;
- interrogating said transported materials with said mono-energetic x-rays or gamma-rays to measure an attenuation level of the mono-energetic x-ray or gamma ray signal as a function of time and a corresponding amount of the target isotope present in the interrogated material that is passing the source at the material transport rate, wherein the step of providing a beam of mono-energetic x-rays or gamma rays comprises:
- generating, with an electron source, a train of spaced electron bunches;
- accelerating, in a radio frequency (RF) linear accelerator, said electron bunches into a laser-electron beam interaction region to produce accelerated electron bunches, wherein the transit time of each electron bunch of said accelerated electron bunches through said laser-electron beam interaction region is both greater than the duration of said each electron bunch and greater than the spacing between said spaced electron bunches;
- and
- producing, with a laser system, a laser pulse having a duration at least as long as a transit time of said laser pulse through said laser-electron beam interaction region, wherein said laser system is arranged so that said laser pulse traverses said laser-electron beam interaction region to interact with all of said accelerated electron bunches and thereby produce said beam of monoenergetic x-rays or gamma-rays.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.