RU2571885C1 - Self-contained mobile device for detecting hazardous substances concealed underwater - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: device for detecting hazardous substances concealed underwater comprises an inspection module which holds a source of labelled monochromatic neutrons and accompanying monochromatic α-particles, an α-particle detector, enclosed in a vacuum chamber, a γ-radiation detector and a recording electronic system, wherein the device is in the form of a self-contained module with zero buoyancy which can be moved by an operator; a torpedo-like unit equipped with an arched handle, the unit acting as a sealed container underwater work, which holds a source of labelled monochromatic neutrons, arranged such that the axis of the central labelled neutron beam coincides with the longitudinal axis of the torpedo-like unit, a power source and a recording electronic system; two γ-radiation detectors are mounted on the front part of the torpedo-like unit, the detectors being arranged symmetrically about the centre axis of the labelled neutron beam and at a distance from the housing of the torpedo-like unit which is sufficient to protect scintillation crystals of the γ-radiation detectors by a water layer from a direct stream of neutrons emitted by a neutron generator in a solid angle of 4π; an operator interface monitor and a control panel are placed outside the torpedo-like unit, usually at the handle; an indicating light for presence/absence of neutron radiation generated by the neutron generator is mounted outside the torpedo-like unit.

EFFECT: high reliability of detecting hazardous substances and radioactive substances.

2 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of determining the composition of hidden hazardous substances (OM), including radioactive substances (RS) using radiation methods based on measuring the intensity of the secondary emission of gamma rays generated by neutrons, in particular for non-destructive remote control of objects located under the water.

A device for detecting and identifying hidden dangerous substances (S) is known - RF patent No. 2503955, containing a source of labeled monochromatic neutrons and their accompanying monochromatic α-particles, an α-particle detector enclosed in a vacuum chamber, a γ-radiation detector and recording electronics, including a data acquisition electronics unit, a control panel, a data reception and processing program unit, a user interface and power sources, the device is made in the form of two portable modules - a working module and a control module, Connections cables Ethernet-connection and power supply having a length that ensures the safe operation of the operator, the in Inspection module has labeled source of monochromatic neutrons and associated monochromatic α-particles, α-particle detector, γ-ray detector and readout electronics; the control module contains a control panel, a block of data reception and processing programs, a user interface and a power source; wherein the γ-radiation detector is placed at an angle close to 45 ° relative to the direction of the flux of labeled monochromatic neutrons, perpendicular to the front plane of the module, and is protected from the flux of monochromatic neutrons; a multi-element silicon detector is used as the α-particle detector, the spectroscopic channel of the γ-radiation detector is equipped with a thermal correction system consisting of a thermal sensor mounted on the crystal of the γ-radiation detector, in thermal contact with it, an amplitude-to-digital converter and a single-board minicomputer, while the temperature sensor connected by a communication line and a power line with an amplitude-to-digital converter, which is connected by a system bus to a single-board minicomputer connected to the device’s power system Islands and to the control module; the device includes a winding module connecting Ethernet cables and power; the working module is placed in a sealed polymer container for underwater operation, made with the possibility of evacuation, equipped with appropriate waterproof connectors for the supply of Ethernet cables and power, to the wall of the sealed container case in the direction of flow of labeled monochromatic neutrons, a waterproof pipe is mounted with a flange, the axis of which coincides with the direction a central beam of labeled monochromatic neutrons; the nozzle is made in the form of a bellows with the possibility of longitudinal deformations, and the size of its cross section is selected based on the condition of transmission of the entire flux of labeled monochromatic neutrons; the container for underwater operations is equipped with supports, as well as a flooding system.

Common essential features of the proposed technical solution that coincide with the essential features of the prototype are the following - a device for the detection and identification of hidden hazardous substances, containing an inspection module, which houses a source of labeled monochromatic neutrons and their accompanying monochromatic α-particles, an α-particle detector, concluded in a vacuum chamber, a γ-radiation detector and recording electronics, including a data acquisition electronics unit, a control panel, a reception program unit and data processing, user interface and power supplies; a multi-element silicon detector is used as the α-particle detector, the spectroscopic channel of the γ-radiation detector is equipped with a thermal correction system consisting of a thermal sensor mounted on the crystal of the γ-radiation detector, in thermal contact with it, an amplitude-to-digital converter and a single-board minicomputer, while the temperature sensor connected by a communication line and a power line with an amplitude-to-digital converter, which is connected by a system bus to a single-board minicomputer connected to the device’s power system Islands and to the control panel; the inspection module is housed in an airtight container for underwater work, made with the possibility of evacuation, equipped with appropriate waterproof connectors for Ethernet and power cables.

The known prototype structure is cumbersome and requires a mechanism for its lifting / immersion; Allows detecting explosives and explosives only in a stationary state, after fixing the device over the object of inspection; the process of moving is long enough, which requires a significant investment of time on the examination of a hidden object; It does not provide accuracy of pointing the beam of tagged neutrons to a specific, required area of inspection of a hidden object; the device does not allow to examine objects located not at the bottom of water bodies - on the vertical and inclined surfaces of the objects of inspection.

The proposed device design is designed to solve the following problems; the creation of a mobile, autonomous and fairly easy to operate device that does not require either special equipment for lifting and diving, or a large number of staff; Significantly accelerated inspection of "suspicious" objects under water with a sufficiently high reliability of detection of organic matter and radioactive substances located on surfaces of any shape, including at the bottom of ponds and bottoms of ships, on the underwater part of bridge supports, etc .; simplification of the procedure for pointing a labeled neutron beam to the area of the object of inspection while maintaining the required accuracy of this procedure.

To solve these problems, a device for detecting and identifying hidden dangerous substances under water, containing an inspection module, which houses a source of labeled monochromatic neutrons and their accompanying monochromatic α-particles, an α-particle detector enclosed in a vacuum chamber, a γ-radiation detector, and recording electronics, including a data acquisition electronics block, a control panel, a block of data reception and processing programs, a user interface and power sources; a multi-element silicon detector is used as the α-particle detector, the spectroscopic channel of the γ-radiation detector is equipped with a thermal correction system consisting of a thermal sensor mounted on the crystal of the γ-radiation detector, in thermal contact with it, an amplitude-to-digital converter and a single-board minicomputer, while the temperature sensor connected by a communication line and a power line with an amplitude-to-digital converter, which is connected by a system bus to a single-board minicomputer connected to the device’s power system Islands and to the control panel; the inspection module is placed in an airtight container for underwater operations, made with the possibility of evacuation, equipped with appropriate waterproof connectors for Ethernet and power cables, according to the invention is made in the form of a stand-alone module with zero buoyancy, with the possibility of its movement by the operator; contains a torpedo-shaped unit equipped with an arcuate handle, which acts as a sealed container for underwater operations, in which a source of labeled monochromatic neutrons is located, located in such a way that the axis of the central labeled neutron beam coincides with the longitudinal axis of the torpedo-shaped unit, a power source that records electronics, including an electronic collection unit data; two gamma detectors are attached to the torpedo block in front of it, located symmetrically relative to the central axis of the labeled neutron beam and at a distance from the torpedo block body, sufficient to protect the scintillation crystals of the gamma detectors from the direct neutron flux emitted by the neutron generator into the body angle 4π; the operator interface monitor and the control panel are located outside the torpedo block (usually on the handle itself); the length of the arcuate handle is selected based on the condition that the thickness of the water layer between the body of the operator holding the handle and the rear of the torpedo block was sufficient to ensure safe, in terms of radiation (according to NRB-99 standards), operator conditions (not less than 400 mm ); on the torpedo-shaped block, outside there is a light indication of the presence-absence of neutron radiation generated by a neutron generator; the control panel is made in the form of buttons on-off of a neutron generator installed on a torpedo block outside (the same, as a rule, on a handle), on-off measurement and on-off power.

Distinctive features of the proposed technical solution from the well-known adopted for the prototype are the following - the device is made in the form of an autonomous module with zero buoyancy, with the ability to move it by the operator; contains a torpedo-shaped unit equipped with an arcuate handle, in which a source of labeled monochromatic neutrons is located, located in such a way that the axis of the central labeled neutron beam coincides with the longitudinal axis of the torpedo-shaped unit, a power source that records electronics, including a data acquisition electronics unit; two gamma detectors are attached to the torpedo block in front of it, located symmetrically relative to the central axis of the labeled neutron beam and at a distance from the torpedo block body, sufficient to protect the scintillation crystals of the gamma detectors from the direct neutron flux emitted by the neutron generator into the body angle 4π; the operator interface monitor and the control panel are located outside the torpedo block (usually on the handle itself); the length of the arcuate handle is selected based on the condition that the thickness of the water layer between the body of the operator holding the handle and the rear of the torpedo block was sufficient to ensure safe, in terms of radiation, working conditions of the operator; on the torpedo-shaped block, outside there is a light indication of the presence-absence of neutron radiation generated by a neutron generator; the control panel is made in the form of buttons on-off of a neutron generator installed on a torpedo block outside, on-off measurement and on-off power.

Due to the presence of these distinctive features in conjunction with the known from the prototype, the following technical results are achieved:

- the device is mobile, autonomous and can be immersed in water, both from the shore and from any watercraft;

- free manual movement of the module in the aquatic environment in any direction is ensured (the module case is waterproof and made of plastic or of durable light alloy, and has a streamlined (torpedo) shape to reduce the resistance of the aquatic environment when moving it);

- allows for reliable fixation of the device under water near the object of inspection located on the surface of any orientation;

- provides high reliability of the detection of hidden dangerous and radioactive substances by increasing the statistics of a set of events recorded by two gamma-detectors;

- provides a simple and accurate guidance of a beam of tagged neutrons to the object of inspection under water;

- provides the necessary protection for gamma detectors from direct neutrons emitted by a portable neutron generator;

- provides the necessary radiation protection for the operator with the neutron source turned on (the distance in the water between the neutron source and the location of the scuba diver operator must be at least 400 mm, which corresponds to the work of personnel belonging to group B according to radiation safety conditions);

- provides quick output of information about the hidden substance of the object of inspection to the operator’s monitor mounted on the rear panel of the module in front of the operator’s eyes (in case of detection of a dangerous substance in the object of inspection, a red square appears on the monitor indicating the presence of an explosive or potent poisonous substance);

- combines the module control panel and the operator monitor interface;

- provides detection of OM and RS on objects that are not at the bottom of water bodies - on vertical and inclined surfaces, including at the bottom of ponds and bottoms of ships, on the underwater part of bridge supports, etc .;

- a light indication (indicating the presence or absence of neutron radiation generated by a neutron generator) mounted on a torpedo block outside is a necessary requirement to ensure safe working conditions for a diver operator when inspecting a "suspicious" object underwater;

- the location of the on-off buttons of the neutron generator, the start-end of the measurement and the on-off power creates convenience with a fairly frequent repetition of these procedures.

The proposed technical solution is illustrated in FIG. 12.

In FIG. 1 shows a device with an operator.

In FIG. 2 shows an enlarged transverse and longitudinal horizontal sections of the device.

Depicted in FIG. 1, 2, the device is made in the form of an autonomous module with zero buoyancy, with the possibility of its movement by the operator and contains a torpedo block 1 equipped with an arcuate handle 2, in which a source of labeled monochromatic neutrons is placed - a neutron generator 3 with a built-in α-particle detector (in FIG. shown), located in such a way that the axis of the central labeled neutron beam 4 coincides with the longitudinal axis of the torpedo block 1, the control unit 7 of the neutron generator 3, the front-end electronics of the alpha detector 15, power supply 5 (calculated for a voltage of 24 V) of recording electronics, gamma and alpha detectors, a block of recording electronics for collecting data 6, a conversion unit 16 from 24 V to the supply voltage of a neutron generator, recording electronics, alpha and gamma detectors; two gamma detectors 8 are attached to the torpedo block 1 in its front part, located symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the labeled neutron beam 4 and at a distance from the housing 17 of the torpedo block 1, sufficient to protect the scintillation crystals of the γ detectors 8 from a direct neutron flux emitted by neutron generator 3 at a solid angle of 4π. The monitor of the operator’s interface 9, the indicator light 13 for the presence of neutron radiation, and the buttons 10 for turning on / off the power, 11 for starting / ending measurements, turning on / off the 12 neutron generator 3 are located outside the torpedo block 1 on the arcuate handle 2 (can be located and on the housing 17 itself or on the console to it, but on the handle 2 is more convenient), the length of which is selected based on the condition that the thickness of the water layer between the body of the operator holding the handle 2 and the rear of the torpedo block 1 was sufficient for Cookies of safe, in terms of radiation, operator’s working conditions.

For greater convenience, in terms of distance of the neutron generator 3 from the object to ensure that the neutron generator 3 is not damaged, either an air cavity inside the block 1 itself or an external cavity filled with air - a horn, including a horn, can be located in front of the housing 17 of the torpedo block 3 . corrugated trunk, or just some kind of shock absorber 14, as in these figures.

The above device operates as follows:

Before immersing the device in water, it is necessary to carry out an external inspection. Then, using the button 10, the power of the recording electronics 6 and gamma detectors 8 is turned on (while the neutron generator 3 is in the off state). Using standard calibration sources of gamma radiation (Cs-137, Co-60), the gamma-detectors 8 are calibrated by measuring the corresponding gamma spectra (the measurement is performed by pressing the measurement start / end button 11. After a set of required statistics, the statistics are turned off using buttons 11. If the values of the parameters of the measured gamma-ray distributions coincide with the expected values, the calibration procedure is considered completed and the power is turned off by button 10. After that You can proceed to immersion of the created device in the pond. The diver-operator plunges with the torpedo-shaped block 1 into the pond to the required depth. Then the diver, holding the curved handle 2, approaches the “suspicious” object of inspection and stops from it at a distance of ~ 30 cm After that, the diver measures the radiation situation in the area of the “suspicious” object. Determines whether the collection of statistics by pressing the button 11, "beginning-end of measurement." A set of required statistics for the correct analysis of experimental data is carried out within 15-30 seconds, depending on the activity of the explosives located in the object of inspection. If there is activity in the object of inspection at the level of 3.5 microcurie, an indication appears on the operator’s monitor 9, indicating that the radiation level is above the permissible level. In the absence of radioactivity in the object of inspection, the diver-operator approaches the “suspicious” object of inspection and touches the front of the torpedo block 1 by means of the shock absorber 14. Then, after 10-15 seconds, the operator 10 turns on the neutron generator by pressing button 12, and the light indicator 13, which indicates the presence of neutron radiation. Then, after 15-20 seconds, the operator turns on the statistics by pressing the button 11 "start-end measurement". In this case, the scan of the object of inspection is carried out as follows: after 10-15 seconds, the operator 10 turns on the neutron generator by pressing the button 12, the indicator light 13 is turned on, which indicates the presence of neutron radiation, then, after 15-20 seconds, the operator turns on the statistics by pressing the button 11 "start-end measurement". A set of required statistics for the correct analysis of experimental data is carried out within 3-10 minutes, depending on the mass of the OM located in the object of inspection. In this case, the scan of the object of inspection as follows:

a) if an answer is received as a result of the work of the hidden substance identification program - no OP was found in the inspection site, then the next next area of the inspection site is scanned, and so this procedure is performed sequentially until the entire scope of the inspection site is scanned;

b) if, when scanning according to scenario a), an answer is received - at least in one area of the object of search, an OM is detected, this information is communicated through the communication line to the special services for the neutralization of dangerous objects, the position of the dangerous object is recorded and the diver operator waits for the arrival of special services.

Claims (1)

A device for detecting hidden dangerous substances under water, containing an inspection module, which houses a source of labeled monochromatic neutrons and their accompanying monochromatic α-particles, an α-particle detector enclosed in a vacuum chamber, a γ-radiation detector and recording electronics, including a collection electronics data, control panel, block of programs for receiving and processing data, user interface and power sources; a multi-element silicon detector is used as the α-particle detector, the spectroscopic channel of the γ-radiation detector is equipped with a thermal correction system consisting of a temperature sensor mounted on the crystal of the γ-radiation detector, in thermal contact with it, an amplitude-to-digital converter and a single-board mini-computer, when In this case, the temperature sensor is connected by a communication line and a power line with an amplitude-to-digital converter, which is connected by a system bus to a single-board mini-computer connected to the device’s power system Twa and to the control module; the inspection module is placed in an airtight container for underwater operations, made with the possibility of evacuation, equipped with appropriate waterproof connectors for Ethernet and power cables, characterized in that the device is made in the form of a stand-alone module with zero buoyancy, with the possibility of its movement by the operator; contains a torpedo-shaped unit equipped with an arcuate handle, in which a source of labeled monochromatic neutrons is located, located in such a way that the axis of the central labeled neutron beam coincides with the longitudinal axis of the torpedo-shaped unit, a power source that records electronics, including a data acquisition electronics unit; two gamma detectors are attached to the torpedo block in front of it, located symmetrically relative to the central axis of the labeled neutron beam and at a distance from the torpedo block body, sufficient to protect the scintillation crystals of the gamma detectors from the direct neutron flux emitted by the neutron generator into the body angle 4π; the operator interface monitor is located outside the torpedo block; the length of the arcuate handle is selected based on the condition that the thickness of the water layer between the body of the operator holding the handle and the rear of the torpedo block was sufficient to ensure safe, in terms of radiation, working conditions of the operator; on the torpedo-shaped block, outside there is a light indication of the presence-absence of neutron radiation generated by a neutron generator; the control panel is made in the form of buttons on-off of a neutron generator installed on a torpedo block outside, on-off measurement and on-off power.

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