IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,259,507
Granted Patent B2
US 12,259,507 · App. 17/667,914 · Granted Mar 25, 2025

Distance and direction-sensitive cosmogenic neutron sensors

Inventors: Marek Zreda (Tucson, AZ); Steven Hamann (Oro Valley, AZ); Martin Schrön (Leipzig, DE); Markus Köhli (Heidelberg, DE)
Assignee: QUAESTA INSTRUMENTS, LLC
G01T3/00G01N23/025G01N23/09G01N33/246G01N2223/616
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,259,507
App. No.
17/667,914
Filed
Feb 9, 2022
Granted
Mar 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Examiner
LEE, SHUN K
Art Unit
2884
USPC
250/252.1
Abstract

A local area, thermal cosmogenic neutron sensor is used for detecting moisture within a measurement surface. A neutron detector is positioned on a stand structure holding the detector above a measurement surface. A neutron shield is positioned around at least a portion of the neutron detector. The neutron shield substantially covers lateral sides of the neutron detector and substantially an entirety of a top of the neutron detector and is not positioned on a bottom side of the neutron detector. Local area, thermal cosmogenic neutrons propagating from the measurement surface travel through an air space before arriving at the neutron detector.

Claims (32)

1. A local area, thermal cosmogenic neutron sensor for detecting moisture within a measurement surface, the local area cosmogenic neutron sensor comprising:

a neutron detector positionable above the measurement surface;

a neutron shield positioned around a portion of the neutron detector, whereby the neutron shield substantially covers lateral sides of the neutron detector and substantially an entirety of a top of the neutron detector, wherein the neutron shield is positioned to interact with cosmogenic neutrons propagating to the lateral sides or the top of the neutron detector, thereby substantially blocking thermal, epithermal, and fast cosmogenic neutrons propagating to the lateral sides or the top of the neutron detector from reaching the neutron detector, and wherein the neutron shield is not positioned on a bottom side of the neutron detector; and

a stand structure holding the neutron detector and the neutron shield in a position a spaced vertical distance above the measurement surface with the bottom side of the neutron detector facing the measurement surface,

wherein local area, thermal cosmogenic neutrons propagating from the measurement surface below and near the neutron detector travel through an air space before arriving at the neutron detector.

2. The local area, thermal cosmogenic neutron sensor of claim 1 , further comprising a thermal neutron filter positioned between the neutron detector and the neutron shield.

3. The local area, thermal cosmogenic neutron sensor of claim 2 , wherein the thermal neutron filter is not positioned on the bottom side of the neutron detector.

4. The local area, thermal cosmogenic neutron sensor of claim 2 , wherein the thermal neutron filter is positioned on the top and lateral sides of the neutron detector.

5. The local area, thermal cosmogenic neutron sensor of claim 1 , wherein the thermal neutron filter comprises at least one of: cadmium, gadolinium, or boron-10.

6. The local area, thermal cosmogenic neutron sensor of claim 1 , wherein unmoderated epithermal and fast neutrons propagating from the measurement surface below and near the neutron detector travel through the neutron detector.

7. The local area, thermal cosmogenic neutron sensor of claim 6 , wherein the unmoderated epithermal and fast neutrons backscatter from the neutron shield thereby creating neutron flux, wherein a thermal neutron filter positioned between the neutron detector and the neutron shield blocks the backscattered unmoderated epithermal and fast neutrons from reaching the neutron detector.

8. A local area, thermal cosmogenic neutron sensor for detecting moisture within a measurement surface comprising:

a stand structure;

a neutron detector positioned on the stand structure, the stand structure holding the neutron detector a spaced vertical distance above a measurement surface; and

a neutron shield positioned around a portion of the neutron detector, whereby the neutron shield substantially covers lateral sides of the neutron detector and substantially an entirety of a top of the neutron detector, wherein the neutron shield is positioned to interact with cosmogenic neutrons propagating to the lateral sides or the top of the neutron detector, thereby substantially blocking cosmogenic neutrons propagating to the lateral sides or the top of the neutron detector from reaching the neutron detector, and wherein the neutron shield is not positioned on a bottom side of the neutron detector;

wherein local area, thermal cosmogenic neutrons propagating from the measurement surface below and near the neutron detector travel through an air space before arriving at the neutron detector.

9. The local area, thermal cosmogenic neutron sensor for detecting moisture within a measurement surface of claim 8 , further comprising a thermal neutron filter positioned between the neutron detector and the neutron shield.

10. The local area, thermal cosmogenic neutron sensor for detecting moisture within a measurement surface of claim 9 , wherein the thermal neutron filter is not positioned on the bottom side of the neutron detector.

11. The local area, thermal cosmogenic neutron sensor for detecting moisture within a measurement surface of claim 9 , wherein the thermal neutron filter is positioned on the top and lateral sides of the neutron detector.

12. The local area, thermal cosmogenic neutron sensor for detecting moisture within a measurement surface of claim 8 , wherein the thermal neutron filter comprises at least one of: cadmium, gadolinium, or boron-10.

13. The local area, thermal cosmogenic neutron sensor for detecting moisture within a measurement surface of claim 8 , wherein unmoderated epithermal and fast neutrons propagating from the measurement surface below and near the neutron detector travel through the neutron detector.

14. The local area, thermal cosmogenic neutron sensor for detecting moisture within a measurement surface of claim 13 , wherein the unmoderated epithermal and fast neutrons backscatter from the neutron shield thereby creating neutron flux, wherein a thermal neutron filter positioned between the neutron detector and the neutron shield blocks the backscattered unmoderated epithermal and fast neutrons from reaching the neutron detector.

15. A method for detecting local area, thermal cosmogenic neutrons for use in detecting moisture within a measurement surface, the method comprising the steps of:

positioning a neutron detector above the measurement surface;

placing a neutron shield around a portion of the neutron detector, whereby the neutron shield substantially covers lateral sides of the neutron detector and substantially an entirety of a top of the neutron detector, whereby the neutron shield is positioned to interact with cosmogenic neutrons propagating to the lateral sides or the top of the neutron detector, thereby substantially blocking thermal, epithermal, and fast cosmogenic neutrons propagating to the lateral sides or the top of the neutron detector from reaching the neutron detector, and wherein the neutron shield is not positioned on a bottom side of the neutron detector;

spacing the neutron detector a spaced vertical distance about the measurement surface with a stand structure, whereby the bottom side of the neutron detector faces the measurement surface,

whereby local area, thermal cosmogenic neutrons propagating from the measurement surface below and near the neutron detector travel through an air space before arriving at the thermal neutron shield.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising a thermal neutron filter positioned between the neutron detector and the neutron shield.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the thermal neutron filter is not positioned on the bottom side of the neutron detector.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the thermal neutron filter is positioned on the top and lateral sides of the neutron detector.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the thermal neutron filter comprises at least one of: cadmium, gadolinium, or boron-10.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein unmoderated epithermal and fast neutrons propagating from the measurement surface below and near the neutron detector travel through the neutron detector, wherein the unmoderated epithermal and fast neutrons backscatter from the neutron shield thereby creating neutron flux, wherein a thermal neutron filter positioned between the neutron detector and the neutron shield blocks the backscattered unmoderated epithermal and fast neutrons from reaching the neutron detector.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 7, 2022
From: ZREDA, MAREK; HAMANN, STEVEN; SCHRÖN, MARTIN; KÖHLI, MARKUS
To: QUAESTA INSTRUMENTS, LLC
Reel/Frame 061019/0219 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation In Part 17102118 · Nov 23, 2020
Continuation In Part 16213741 · Dec 7, 2018
Provisional Application 62596315 · Dec 8, 2017
Related Publication 20220163687A1 · May 26, 2022
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