Apparatus and method for detecting explosives
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of detecting the presence of a substance within a container, which substance contains at least first and second component materials in amounts exceeding predetermined amounts, comprising the steps of:
- a. irradiating said container with energy of a first kind,b. measuring the quantity of said first kind of energy passing through said container to obtain an indication corresponding to the amount of said first component material within said container,c. storing said indication,d. irradiating said container with energy of a second kind for transferring said second component material to a radioactive material,e. removing said container from the source of said second kind of energy,f. measuring the quantity of radioactive material within said container to obtain an indication corresponding to the amount of said second component material within said container, andg. correlating said indications of the amounts of said first and second component materials to provide an output signal.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and method for detecting the presence of nitrogen and oxygen-containing explosives within a container by irradiating the container with thermal and high energy neutrons, and then measuring the quantity of thermal energy neutrons passing through the container and the quantity of radioactive nitrogen 16 generated within the container. The measurements of neutron absorption and nitrogen 16 are correlated to provide an output signal indicative of whether the material within the container is an explosive.
61 Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A method of detecting the presence of a substance within a container, which substance contains at least first and second component materials in amounts exceeding predetermined amounts, comprising the steps of:
-
a. irradiating said container with energy of a first kind, b. measuring the quantity of said first kind of energy passing through said container to obtain an indication corresponding to the amount of said first component material within said container, c. storing said indication, d. irradiating said container with energy of a second kind for transferring said second component material to a radioactive material, e. removing said container from the source of said second kind of energy, f. measuring the quantity of radioactive material within said container to obtain an indication corresponding to the amount of said second component material within said container, and g. correlating said indications of the amounts of said first and second component materials to provide an output signal. - View Dependent Claims (2)
-
-
3. A method of detecting the presence of a substance located within a container, which substance includes oxygen and nitrogen in amounts exceeding predetermined amounts comprising:
-
a. irradiating said container with thermal energy neutrons, b. measuring the quantity of said thermal energy neutrons passing through said container to obtain an indication corresponding to the amount of neutron absorbing material including nitrogen within said container, c. storing said indication, d. irradiating said container with higher energy neutrons having energies in excess of 10.6 ×
106 electron volts per neutron to transform the oxygen within said container to radioactive nitrogen of atomic weight 16,e. removing said container from the source of higher energy neutrons, f. measuring the quantity of said radioactive nitrogen 16 within said containers to obtain an indication corresponding to the amount of oxygen within said container, and g. correlating said indications of nitrogen and oxygen to provide an output signal. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. Apparatus for detecting the presence of a substance within a container, which substance contains oxygen and nitrogen in amounts exceeding predetermined amounts comprising:
-
a. a thermal energy neutron source for irradiating said container with thermal energy neutrons, b. a high energy neutron source for transforming oxygen within said container to radioactive nitrogen of atomic weight 16, c. means for positioning said container in the path of energy emitted by said thermal and high energy neutron sources respectively, d. first measuring means for measuring the quantity of thermal energy neutrons passing through said container, e. second measuring means for measuring the quantity of radioactive nitrogen 16 within said container, and f. means coupled to said first and second measuring means for correlating the outputs of said means for measuring the quantity of thermal energy neutrons passing through said container and said means for measuring the quantity of radioactive nitrogen 16 within said enclosure to obtain indications of the amount of neutron absorbing material including nitrogen within the container and the amount of oxygen with said container. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
Specification