Radiation shielding arrangement

• US 6,927,407 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2004
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GSI Helmholtzzentrum FüR Schwerionenforschung GmbH (Government of Germany)
• Original Assignee: Gessellschaft Fur Schwerionenforschung MbH
• Inventors: Fehrenbacher, Georg, Radon, Torsten, Brüchle, Willi, Gutermuth, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Souw, Bernard E.
• Application Number:
  US10/803,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20040217307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 250/518.1, 250/526, 250/503.1, 250/393, 250/517.1, 250/370.9, 250/390.01, 250/390.03, 250/515.1, 250/496.1, 250/505.1, 250/516.1, 250/499, 250/506, 250/515, 250501-503, 250/496, 250/518, 427/360, 427/361, 427/365, 427/367
• US Class Current: 250/518.1
• CPC Class Codes: G21F 1/04 Concretes; Other hydraulic hardening materials
• CPC Class Codes: G21F 1/12 Laminated shielding materials

Abstract

A radiation shielding arrangement for shielding high-energy neutron radiation and gamma radiation from high-energy particle accelerators or storage rings includes a shielding element made of water-containing material, for example with chemically bound water or water of crystallization, in particular gypsum. The water component of the material preferably makes up at least 5, 10 or 20 percent by weight. The hydrogen nuclei or protons contained therein moderate neutrons in a virtually ideal manner because of the almost identical mass and the maximum pulse transformation associated with this.

Claims

1. A radiation shielding arrangement for shielding neutron radiation and gamma radiation from particle accelerators, storage rings, target, experimental or analytical devices, comprising at least one shielding element including a gypsum wall, wherein said gypsum wall includes bound water, and wherein said gypsum wall has a thickness that is matched to a radiation spectra of a high-energy particle accelerator.

2. The radiation shielding arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said gypsum is in a bound state in a chemical composition CaSO₄*2H₂O.

19. The radiation shielding arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said gypsum wall thickness is selected

from the group consisting of at least 2 m, at least 5 m and at least 7 m.

3. A radiation shielding arrangement for shielding neutron radiation and gamma radiation from particle accelerators, storage rings, target, experimental or analytical devices, comprising at least one shielding element including a gypsum wall that includes gypsum, wherein said gypsum includes bound water, and wherein said gypsum wall has a thickness greater than or equal to a secondary radiation equilibrium thickness.

4. A radiation shielding arrangement for shielding neutron radiation and gamma radiation from particle accelerators, storage rings, target, experimental or analytical devices, wherein said shielding arrangement has a multilayer construction and comprises at least a first layer and a second layer, and wherein said first layer is a spallation layer and said second layer is a neutron retarding layer.

5. The radiation shielding arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said shielding arrangement has a modular construction.

6. The radiation shielding arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said shielding arrangement includes a loadbearing layer arranged on a first side of said shielding element and as at least a minimum thickness dimensioned such that said at least one shielding element and said loadbearing layer are self-supporting.

7. The radiation shielding arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said loadbearing layer includes concrete formwork.

8. The radiation shielding arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said shielding element has two sides, wherein said concrete formwork is on said sides.

9. The radiation shielding arrangement according to claim 4, further comprising a neutron absorber layer having a neutron-absorbing material.

10. The radiation shielding arrangement according to claim 4, further comprising a neutron absorber layer having boron, cadmium and gadolinium.

12. The radiation shielding arrangement according to claim 8, wherein a neutron absorber layer is arranged within said concrete formwork or between said concrete formwork and said gypsum wall.

13. The radiation shielding arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said loadbearing layer includes a neutron-absorbing material.

11. A radiation shielding arrangement for shielding neutron radiation and gamma radiation from particle accelerators, storage rings, target, experimental or analytical devices, comprising:

at least one shielding element made of a first material including bound water; and

a neutron absorber layer having boron-paraffin.

14. A radiation shielding arrangement, for shielding neutron radiation and gamma radiation from particle accelerators, storage rings, target, experimental or analytical devices, comprising at least one spallation layer including a material wherein spallation reactions are triggered by means of neutron irradiation.

15. The radiation shielding arrangement according to claim 14, wherein said material is a metal.

16. A use of gypsum from flue gas desulphurization plants for producing a radiation shielding arrangement for shielding neutron radiation and gamma radiation from high-energy particle accelerators, storage ring, target, experimental or analytical devices, wherein said shielding arrangement has a thickness that is matched to a radiation spectra of a high-energy particle accelerator.

17. A use of a shielding element that contains gypsum for shielding radiation from a device selected from the group consisting of a particle accelerator, a particle storage ring, a target device, an experimental device and an analytical device wherein said shielding element has a thickness that is matched to a radiation spectra of a high-energy particle accelerator.

18. A radiation shielding arrangement for shielding neutron radiation and gamma radiation from particle accelerators, storage rings, target, experimental or analytical devices, comprising at least one shielding element including a gypsum wall that includes gypsum, wherein said gypsum includes bound water, and wherein said gypsum wall has a thickness that is matched to a radiation spectra of a high-energy particle storage ring for particles selected from the group consisting of electrons, positrons and ions.