RADIOACTIVE ANOMALY DETECTOR

• US 20160356714A1
• Filed: 06/08/2015
• Published: 12/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Griffin, Eric J., Spariosu, Kalin, Johnson, Erik D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,869,637 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/32 for handling freight
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/368 Arrangements or installations for routing, distributing or loading baggage
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 1/101 for containers B66C1/223 and B66C1/663 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/18 Control systems or devices exclusively for rope, cable, or chain winding mechanisms B66D1/40
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 19/002 Container cranes B66C19/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0291 Housings; Spectrometer accessories; Spatial arrangement of elements, e.g. folded path arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/443 Emission spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2226 Sampling from a closed space, e.g. food package, head space
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/24 Suction devices G01N1/22 - G01N1/2294 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1459 the analysis being performed on a sample stream
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/0046 in gas, e.g. smoke
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6406 multi-element
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/25 Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/63 optically excited
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6404 Atomic fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/718 Laser microanalysis, i.e. with formation of sample plasma
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/06113 Coherent sources; lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/004 CO or CO2
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0057 Warfare agents or explosives
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/281 detecting special nuclear material [SNM], e.g. Uranium-235, Uranium-233 or Plutonium-239
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 : Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 : Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods

Abstract

A detector apparatus is provided and includes a collector having access to a sample of a gaseous fluid and a tester coupled to and disposed remotely from the collector. The tester includes a test chamber into which a sample is directed from the collector, an excitation element to excite the sample in the test chamber and a spectrum analyzing device coupled to the test chamber to analyze the excited sample for evidence of a concentration of particles of interest in the gaseous fluid exceeding a threshold concentration. The threshold concentration is defined in accordance with a type of the particles of interest and a residence time of the sample.

Claims

1. A detector apparatus, comprising:

a collector having access to a sample of a gaseous fluid; and

a tester coupled to and disposed remotely from the collector, the tester comprising;

a test chamber into which a sample is directed from the collector;

an excitation element to excite the sample in the test chamber; and

a spectrum analyzing device coupled to the test chamber to analyze the excited sample for evidence of a concentration of particles of interest in the gaseous fluid exceeding a threshold concentration,

the threshold concentration being defined in accordance with a type of the particles of interest and a residence time of the sample.

2. The detector apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a hose coupled at opposite ends thereof to the collector and the tester.

3. The detector apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tester further comprises an enclosure to house at least one of the test chamber the excitation element and the spectrum analyzing device.

4. The detector apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the test chamber comprises a tubular body having at least one reflective surface and at least one absorptive surface.

5. The detector apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a blower to direct the sample from the collector to the test chamber.

6. The detector apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the excitation element comprises a laser.

7. The detector apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the laser is mounted within an interior of the tester.

8. The detector apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the laser is mounted externally with respect to the tester.

9. The detector apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spectrum analyzing device analyzes the excited sample for evidence of a concentration of isotopic molecules in the gaseous fluid exceeding a threshold concentration defined for the isotopic molecules based on the residence time of the sample.

10. The detector apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the isotopic molecules comprise at least one or more of DHO, ¹⁴CO, ¹⁴CO₂ and H³⁶Cl.

11. A detector apparatus, comprising:

a collector having access to an interior of a storage container; and

a tester coupled to the collector and disposed on a frame element configured to manipulate the storage container, the tester comprising;

a test chamber into which a sample of a gaseous fluid drawn from the interior of the storage container by the collector is directed;

an excitation element to excite the sample in the test chamber; and

a spectrum analyzing device coupled to the test chamber to analyze the excited sample for evidence of a concentration of particles of interest in the gaseous fluid exceeding a threshold concentration,

the threshold concentration being defined in accordance with a type of the particles of interest and a residence time of the sample in the interior of the storage container.

12. The detector apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the storage container comprises an intermodal container.

13. The detector apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the collector has access to the interior by way of at least one or more of vent sampling, direct sampling and diffuse sampling.

14. The detector apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the frame element comprises a crane.

15. The detector apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a controller operably coupled to the tester and configured to control the excitation element and the spectrum analyzing device and to analyze the evidence for identification of a suspect reading.

16. The detector apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the controller controls a blower to direct multiple samples of the gaseous fluid into the test chamber, the excitation element to excite each of the multiple samples and the spectrum analyzing device to analyze each of the multiple excited samples.

17. The detector apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a secondary screening system to which storage containers associated with identifications of suspect readings are routable.

18. A method of operating a detector apparatus, the method comprising:

directing a sample of a gaseous fluid drawn from an interior of a storage container into a test chamber;

lasing the sample in the test chamber to excite the sample;

performing spectroscopy on the excited sample;

analyzing results of the spectroscopy for evidence of a concentration of particles of interest in the gaseous fluid exceeding a threshold concentration; and

defining the threshold concentration in accordance with a type of the particles of interest and a residence time of the sample in the interior of the storage container.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the analyzing comprises analyzing the results for evidence of a concentration of isotopic molecules in the gaseous fluid exceeding a threshold concentration defined for the isotopic molecules based on the residence time of the sample in the interior of the storage container.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the isotopic molecules comprise at least one or more of DHO, ¹⁴CO, ¹⁴CO₂ and H³⁶Cl.