Chemical wave perturbation detection systems and methods
Chemical wave systems that utilize chemical compounds with nonlinear chemical wave behavior can be used to detect or sense material changes such as a change in a radiation source. Such chemical systems include autocatalysis that produce self-sustaining spatial and/or temporal fluctuations in chemical attributes such as species concentrations, pH, and/or redox state. Through application of the chemical compounds with wave behavior into engineered geologic environments, such as those for containment of a liquid or solid, the chemical wave behavior may be triggered or modified by perturbations, including intrusion into the environment. The chemical wave behavior is an indicator of the said perturbation and monitored by various means tailored to the type of chemical waves. The chemical waves can have a type of “fingerprint” based on their wave behavior that lasts beyond a transient disturbance that could later be discerned by measurement of the chemical wave attributes.
1. A monitoring method, comprising:
introducing autocatalytic chemical wave compounds into an area of interest for a first period of time;
monitoring the chemical wave compound concentrations at one or more detection sites to create a chemical wave profile over the first period of time; and
analyzing the monitored chemical wave profiles using inverse modeling and parameter estimation to determine if a perturbation has taken place in the second period of time by a perturbation source;
wherein the measured chemical wave is used to estimate underlying system state parameters that affect the chemical waves, including substances such as radiation by-products and their locations, type, and strength.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the perturbation source is a target substance.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the underlying system parameters or variables are selected from the group consisting of radiation by-products, radiation by-product locations, radiation by-product types and radiation by-product strengths, and chemicals released or deposited during or by seal breaching or other residues.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
introducing the autocatalytic chemical wave compounds into the area of interest for a pre-period of time prior to the first period of time;
monitoring the chemical wave compound concentrations introduced during the pre-period of time at one or more detection sites to create a baseline chemical wave profile over the pre-period of time;
introducing the autocatalytic chemical wave compounds into the area of interest for a second period of time;
monitoring the chemical wave compound concentrations at one or more detection sites for a second period of time to create a monitored chemical wave profile; and
analyzing the baseline and monitored chemical wave profiles to determine if a perturbation has taken place in the second period of time.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the type of perturbation.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the type of perturbation is selected from the group consisting of removal of a radiation source, radiation leakage, repositioning or removal of containers or other items in the system, chemicals released by seal breaching or other residues perturbed by unauthorized access, and intrusion into the system that changes geometric or chemical features of the system.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the perturbation indicates a change in a radiological condition.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the baseline and monitored chemical wave profiles are analyzed by chemical species detection.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein chemical species detection is performed by a detection method selected from the group consisting essentially of laser detection, absorption detection, and vibrational spectroscopy, and by devices that emit electromagnetic radiation that is absorbed by chemical species of interest as monitored by photo-detection.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the devices are selected from the group consisting essentially of photo-diodes, a charged-coupled device (CCD) camera, lab-based chromatography, spectroscopic devices and mass spectrometers.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detection includes amplification by the chemical wave systems through which non-linear feedback reactions that lead to chemical oscillations, enhancements, or unbounded growth within a range in small chemical signals or concentrations that are detected and at greater level than a non-amplified level than the target monitored substance thereby causing an amplification and improved detection of the target substance or perturbing source.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chemical wave profile detection uses ion specific electrodes in field or experiment settings or lab-based measurements for collected samples.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the lab-based measurements are performed via a technique selected from the group consisting essentially of liquid chromatography, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry, and flame emission.