Dose calculation device, dose calculation method, and measurement device with dose calculation function

• US 10,527,737 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2016
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsuruta, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fein, Abra S
• Application Number:
  US15/780,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20180356535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 250395
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/00 Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/02 Dosimeters G01T1/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/026 Semiconductor dose-rate meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/16 Measuring radiation intensity G01T1/29 takes precedence ; self-powered detectors G01T3/006; using an ionisation chamber filled with a liquid or solid, e.g. frozen liquid, dielectric G01T3/008

Abstract

A dose calculation device 50 includes: a detector 20 detecting a physical quantity as voltage; a V/I conversion element 28 converting the quantity into current; a memory 51 storing a zero point current and a shift amount from a true value caused by radiation; a correlation storage 52 storing zero point shift data in correlation between the zero point current and cumulative dose and span shift data in correlation between the cumulative dose and the shift; a first evaluator 53 estimating cumulative dose of the V/I conversion element 28 based on the zero point current and the zero point shift; a second evaluator 54 estimating cumulative dose of the V/I conversion element 28 based on the shift and the span shift; and a comparator 56 specifying a common cumulative dose as a true cumulative dose by comparing cumulative doses estimated by the first evaluator 53 and the second evaluator 54.

Claims

1. A dose calculation device equipped in a measurement device that converts a detected physical quantity from voltage into current by a V/I conversion element and transmits the detected physical quantity, the dose calculation device comprising:

a memory configured to store a zero point current and a shift amount from a true value of an electric current, the zero point current being outputted from the V/I conversion element by being exposed to radiation in a period during which the voltage is not inputted, the electric current being outputted from the V/I conversion element by being exposed to radiation with respect to an inputted known voltage;

a correlation storage configured to hold zero point shift data and span shift data, the zero point shift data indicating correlation between the zero point current and cumulative radiation dose of the radiation acquired in advance, the span shift data indicating correlation between the cumulative radiation dose and the shift amount;

a first evaluator configured to estimate at least one cumulative radiation dose of the V/I conversion element based on the zero point current stored in the memory and the zero point shift data;

a second evaluator configured to estimate at least one cumulative radiation dose of the V/I conversion element based on the shift amount stored in the memory and the span shift data; and

a comparator configured to specify a common cumulative radiation dose as a true cumulative radiation dose, by comparing respective cumulative radiation doses estimated by the first evaluator and the second evaluator.

2. The dose calculation device according to claim 1, further comprising a calculator configured to calculate radiation dose by dividing the true cumulative radiation dose by a period from detection start.

3. The dose calculation device according to claim 1,

wherein the dose calculation device is configured to limit a reference range of the zero point shift data by two or more zero point currents having different recording times.

4. The dose calculation device according to claim 1,

wherein the dose calculation device is configured to limit a reference range of the span shift data by two or more shift amounts having different recording times.

5. The dose calculation device according to claim 1, further comprising a alerting unit configured to issue an alert when the true cumulative radiation dose having been specified becomes larger than a predetermined threshold value.

6. A measurement device with a dose calculation function comprising:

at least one detector configured to detect a specific physical quantity as voltage;

a V/I conversion element configured to convert the specific physical quantity from the voltage into current;

a memory configured to store a zero point current and a shift amount from a true value of an electric current, the zero point current being outputted from the V/I conversion element by being exposed to radiation in a period during which the voltage is not inputted, the electric current being outputted from the V/I conversion element by being exposed to radiation with respect to an inputted known voltage;

a correlation storage configured to hold zero point shift data and span shift data, the zero point shift data indicating correlation between the zero point current and cumulative radiation dose of the radiation acquired in advance, the span shift data indicating correlation between the cumulative radiation dose and the shift amount;

a first evaluator configured to estimate at least one cumulative radiation dose of the V/I conversion element based on the zero point current stored in the memory and the zero point shift data;

a second evaluator configured to estimate at least one cumulative radiation dose of the V/I conversion element based on the shift amount stored in the memory and the span shift data; and

a comparator configured to specify a common cumulative radiation dose as a true cumulative radiation dose, by comparing respective cumulative radiation doses estimated by the first evaluator and the second evaluator.

7. The measurement device with a dose calculation function according to claim 6,

wherein the at least one detector is a diaphragm-type pressure detector or a spring-type pressure detector.

8. The measurement device with a dose calculation function according to claim 6,

wherein the at least one detector comprises a plurality of detectors;

and

the plurality of detectors are disposed at respective positions different from each other.

9. The measurement device with a dose calculation function according to claim 6,

wherein the measurement device with a dose calculation function is an immersion-type water gauge.

10. The measurement device with a dose calculation function according to claim 6, further comprising a measurement unit and an application unit,

wherein the at least one detector is configured to seal inside of a housing partially opened in liquid by using a pressure sensor, and to detect a pressure difference between a water pressure applied to the pressure sensor from the liquid and an atmospheric pressure applied from the inside by a hollow cable connected to the housing;

the measurement unit is configured to be fixed to outer surface of the at least one detector and measure the water pressure that is applied to the at least one detector; and

the application unit is configured to apply a water pressure measured by the measurement unit from the hollow cable.

11. A dose calculation method in which a measurement device is used for converting a detected physical quantity from voltage into current by a V/I conversion element and transmitting the detected physical quantity, the dose calculation method comprising:

acquiring a zero point current and a shift amount from a true value of an electric current, the zero point current being outputted from the V/I conversion element by being exposed to radiation in a period during which the voltage is not inputted, the electric current being outputted from the V/I conversion element by being exposed to radiation with respect to an inputted known voltage;

referring to zero point shift data and span shift data, the zero point shift data indicating correlation between the zero point current and cumulative radiation dose of the radiation acquired in advance, the span shift data indicating correlation between the cumulative radiation dose and the shift amount;

estimating at least one cumulative radiation dose of the V/I conversion element based on the zero point current and the zero point shift data, as a first estimation step;

estimating at least one cumulative radiation dose of the V/I conversion element based on the shift amount and the span shift data, as a second estimation step; and

determining a common cumulative radiation dose as a true cumulative radiation dose, by comparing respective cumulative radiation doses estimated in the first estimation step and the second estimation step.