Radiation monitoring apparatus, systems, and methods

• US 20060049345A1
• Filed: 09/09/2004
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Rao, M. Vikram, Rodney, Paul F.
• Application Number:
  US10/937,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20060049345A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/269.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/20 with scintillation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/08 using primary nuclear radiation sources or X-rays , e.g. for inducing radioactivity; investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays, neutrons G01N23/00

Abstract

In some embodiments, radiation may be detected by emitting photons responsive to the radiation at a first location, and transporting the photons to provide an indication of photon presence at the second location. In some embodiments, operations may include generating a current at a first location by receiving radiation from a source at a semiconductor junction, and transporting the current to provide an indication of source presence at the second location.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a photon emitter to emit photons responsive to radiation; and

an optical conduit to transport the photons.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the photon emitter comprises a doped portion of the optical conduit.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the photon emitter comprises at least one of a scintillator, a crystal, sodium-iodine, a semiconductor junction, a light-emitting transistor, and scintillation plastic.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a receptor to receive the photons from the optical conduit and to provide an electrical indication of photon presence.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a threshold indicator to receive the electrical indication of the photon presence and to indicate the photon presence when a number of photons received per unit time is greater than a selected level.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the threshold indicator further includes an amplifier.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the threshold indicator further includes a Schmitt trigger.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a capacitor coupled to the receptor; and

a resistor coupled to the capacitor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a time constant associated with the resistor and the capacitor is less than a desired indication response time.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a time constant associated with the resistor and the capacitor is greater than a reciprocal of a selected number of radiation particles received per second at the photon emitter.

11. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the receptor comprises one of a photodiode and a photomultiplier.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the photon emitter is unpowered.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the photon emitter receives power from a separate power source.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a photon emitter to emit photons responsive to radiation;

a receptor optically coupled to the photon emitter to provide an electrical indication of photon presence responsive to receiving the photons; and

an electrical conduit to transport the electrical indication of photon presence.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the electrical conduit comprises a single electrical conductor.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the photon emitter comprises one of a scintillator, a crystal, sodium-iodine, a semiconductor junction, a light-emitting transistor, and scintillation plastic.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a threshold indicator to receive the electrical indication of photon presence from the electrical conduit and to indicate the photon presence when a number of photons received per unit time is greater than a selected level.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the threshold indicator further includes an amplifier.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the threshold indicator further includes a Schmitt trigger.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a capacitor coupled to the electrical conduit; and

a resistor coupled to the capacitor.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein a time constant associated with the resistor and the capacitor is less than a desired indication response time.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein a time constant associated with the resistor and the capacitor is greater than a reciprocal of a selected number of radiation particles received per second at the photon emitter.

23. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the receptor comprises one of a photodiode and a photomultiplier.

24. A system, comprising:

a photon emitter to emit photons responsive to radiation;

an optical conduit to transport the photons; and

a radiation container having an interior portion containing the photon emitter.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the optical conduit is carried by a passage from the interior portion to an exterior portion of the radiation container.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the passage comprises a tortuous passage.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the radiation container comprises a well logging radioactive source pig.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the radiation container comprises a container to transport radioactive waste.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the photon emitter is unpowered.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein the photon emitter receives power from a separate power source.

31. A system, comprising:

a photon emitter to emit photons responsive to radiation;

a receptor optically coupled to the photon emitter to provide an electrical indication of photon presence responsive to receiving the photons; and

a radiation container having an interior portion containing the photon emitter and the receptor.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising:

an electrical conduit to transport the electrical indication of photon presence from the interior portion to an exterior portion of the radiation container.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the electrical conduit is carried in a tortuous passage.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the radiation container comprises a well logging radioactive source pig.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the radiation container comprises container to transport radioactive waste.

36. A system, comprising:

a photon emitter to emit photons responsive to radiation;

an optical conduit to transport the photons; and

a laser to provide the radiation.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the laser is included in a tool comprising one of a cutting tool and a fusing tool.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the tool comprises a metal cutting tool.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the tool comprises a tool to operate on human-tissue.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the tool to operate on human-tissue provides the radiation in conjunction with a laser-energized water spray.

41. A method, comprising:

emitting photons responsive to radiation at a first location; and

transporting the photons to a second location different from the first location to provide an indication of photon presence at the second location.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the first location comprises an interior of a radiation container, further comprising:

carrying a source of the radiation in the interior.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the source of the radiation is capable of providing the radiation at a rate of greater than about 2·

10⁸ particles per second through a surface surrounding the source.

44. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

receiving the indication; and

activating an alarm responsive to an absence of the indication.

45. The method of claim 41, wherein the indication comprises a visual indication.

46. The method of claim 41, wherein the indication comprises a binary indication.

47. A method, including:

emitting photons to provide a binary indication responsive to radiation provided by a source at a first location; and

conducting the binary indication to a second location different from the first location.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the first location comprises an interior of a radiation container, and wherein the second location comprises an exterior of the radiation container.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the source of the radiation is capable of providing the radiation at a rate of greater than about 2·

10⁸ particles per second through a surface surrounding the source.

50. The method of claim 47, wherein the binary indication includes one of a source present state and a source not present state, further comprising:

activating an alarm responsive to the source not present state.

51. The method of claim 47, wherein the binary state includes one of an electrical ON state and an electrical OFF state.

52. The method of claim 51, further comprising:

activating an alarm responsive to the electrical OFF state.

53. An apparatus, comprising:

a semiconductor junction to generate a current responsive to radiation provided by a source; and

a receptor to provide an indication of source presence responsive to the current.

54. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein the semiconductor junction comprises one of a bipolar junction, a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) junction, and a PIN diode junction.

55. The apparatus of claim 53, further comprising:

a threshold indicator to receive the indication of source presence and to indicate the source presence when a current received per unit time is greater than a selected level.

56. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the threshold indicator further includes an amplifier.

57. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the threshold indicator further includes a Schmitt trigger.

58. The apparatus of claim 53, further comprising:

a capacitor coupled to the receptor; and

a resistor coupled to the capacitor.

59. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein a time constant associated with the resistor and the capacitor is less than a desired indication response time.

60. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein a time constant associated with the resistor and the capacitor is greater than a reciprocal of a selected number of radiation particles received per second at the semiconductor junction.

61. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein the semiconductor junction is unpowered.

62. A method, including:

generating a current at a semiconductor junction by receiving radiation at the semiconductor junction, wherein the radiation is provided by a source at a first location; and

transporting the current to a second location different from the first location to provide an indication of source presence at the second location.

63. The method of claim 62, wherein the first location comprises an interior of a radiation container, and wherein the second location comprises an exterior of the radiation container.

64. The method of claim 62, wherein the source is capable of providing the radiation at a rate of greater than about 2·

10⁸ particles per second through a surface surrounding the source.

65. The method of claim 62, wherein the semiconductor junction comprises one of a bipolar junction, a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) junction, and a PIN diode junction.

66. The method of claim 62, further comprising:

converting the indication to a binary indication including one of an electrical ON state and an electrical OFF state.

67. The method of claim 66, further comprising:

activating an alarm responsive to the electrical OFF state.