RADIOACTIVITY MONITORING APPARATUS FOR FLUIDS IN FLOW
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Apparatus for use with a radiation detector in measuring radioactivity in liquids in flow comprising:
- a. a bowl-shaped container having a cover;
b. a well mounted in said cover for enclosing a radiation detector;
c. radioactivity shielding metal surrounding said container;
d. an inlet pipe passing through said shielding metal above said cover and down through said cover;
e. a terminating orifice on said inlet pipe within said container directed so as to produce a swirling action in said container when liquid passes through said inlet pipe;
f. an outlet pipe connected to an outlet at the bottom of said container and passing through said shielding metal below said container;
g. a gas release pipe connected to said cover and passing through said shielding metal; and
h. a riser pipe connected to said outlet pipe and rising to connect with said gas release pipe and provide a connection for an outlet main at a point above said cover.
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Abstract
Unusually high sensitivity is obtained in a radioactivity monitor for fluid in flow by blocking external background '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'noise'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' with four pi shielding, minimizing residual contamination as a source of internal noise with a dynamic swirl in a removable bowl-shaped container having a smoothly curving surface passing into a bottom outlet, and providing a constant sampling volume by maintaining an external fluid level above that of the container and by venting through the top of the container.
9 Citations
14 Claims
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1. Apparatus for use with a radiation detector in measuring radioactivity in liquids in flow comprising:
- a. a bowl-shaped container having a cover;
b. a well mounted in said cover for enclosing a radiation detector;
c. radioactivity shielding metal surrounding said container;
d. an inlet pipe passing through said shielding metal above said cover and down through said cover;
e. a terminating orifice on said inlet pipe within said container directed so as to produce a swirling action in said container when liquid passes through said inlet pipe;
f. an outlet pipe connected to an outlet at the bottom of said container and passing through said shielding metal below said container;
g. a gas release pipe connected to said cover and passing through said shielding metal; and
h. a riser pipe connected to said outlet pipe and rising to connect with said gas release pipe and provide a connection for an outlet main at a point above said cover.
- a. a bowl-shaped container having a cover;
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2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said shielding metal is separable in a plane adjacent to said cover and said cover and container are removable.
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3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said outlet at the bottom of said container follows a continuous curve from the interior of said container to a cylindrical orifice passing through and below a resilient sealing ring.
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4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said outlet pipe faces said outlet at an angle slanting away from the bottom of said container through said shielding metal whereby noise due to residual contaminants in said outlet pipe is substantially shielded from said container.
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5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said inlet pipe enters said shielding metal axially in line with said connection for an outlet main.
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6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the bottom of said container is substantially a hemisphere having a center of curvature at the bottom of said well.
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7. A four pi shielded radioactivity monitoring apparatus for a fluid in flow comprising:
- a. A sampling container for holding a constant volume of said fluid in flow, designed for connection in a fixed attitude with a usual top and bottom;
b. a radiation detector supported within said container for detecting radioactivity in the contained volume;
c. nuclear radiation shielding substantially completely encompassing said container;
d. an inlet pipe passing through said shielding in a horizontal plane above said container and then turning downward into said container within said shielding; and
e. an outlet pipe connected to the bottom of said container and turning immediately away from the bottom of said container within said shielding passing to the outside of said shielding in a path below said container, all whereby direct unshielded paths for exterior radioactive noise to said container are substantially eliminated.
- a. A sampling container for holding a constant volume of said fluid in flow, designed for connection in a fixed attitude with a usual top and bottom;
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8. Radioactivity monitoring apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said fluid is a liquid and said inlet pipe terminates inside said container in a nozzle directed along the sidewall of said container so that an inlet stream of liquid will rpoduce swirling of the contained liquid.
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9. Radioactivity monitoring apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said container is bowl-shaped with a highly finished sidewall curving smoothly and continuously into an outlet orifice at the connection of said outlet pipe.
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10. Radioactivity monitoring apparatus according to claim 9 further comprising a housing about said container;
- a cover over said housing;
a first o-ring gasket between said cover and a lip of said container sealing the top of said container; and
, a second o-ring gasket supported in the bottom of said housing at said outlet orifice for sealing the connection between said container and said outlet pipe.
- a cover over said housing;
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11. Radiation monitoring apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said cover is removably secured to said housing and said container is removable from said housing upon removal of said cover.
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12. Apparatus for use with a radiation detector in measuring radioactivity in fluids in flow comprising:
- a. Four pi nuclear radiation shielding;
b. a bowl-shaped sample volume container removably secured within said shielding;
c. an inlet connection entering said shielding above said container and terminating in an orifice within said container directed to induce a swirling action;
d. an outlet connection from the bottom of said container leaving said shielding below said container and then rising to an outlet main connection above said container; and
e. means to support a radiation detector within said container.
- a. Four pi nuclear radiation shielding;
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13. Apparatus according to claim 12 in which said fluid is a liquid.
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14. Apparatus according to claim 12 in which said fluid is a gas.
Specification