Gas Flow to Enhance the Detection of Alpha-Induced Air Radioluminescence Based on a UVTron Flame Sensor

Abstract

In many field applications where alpha-induced radioluminescence (or so-called UV fluorescence) could potentially be used for stand-off detection of alpha-emitting materials, it may not be possible to create a fully purged gas atmosphere. Hence, an alternative gas delivery method to utilise the radioluminescence enhancing properties of gases has been investigated, with the novel results from this presented herewithin. A solar blind ultraviolet C (UVC) sensor (UVTron R9533, Hamamatsu, Japan) has been used to detect changes in the signal in the UVC wavelength range (180–280 nm), where gases of Ar, Xe, Ne, N2, Kr, and P-10 were flowed over a 6.95 MBq 210Po source using a narrow diameter pipe close to the source. In comparison with an air atmosphere, there was an increase in signal in all instances, the greatest being the flow of Xe, which in one instance greater than doubled the average counts per second. This increase in signal could prove beneficial in the design of a stand-off alpha detector to detect the very small UVC radioluminescence signals from alpha-emitting materials found in nuclear decommissioning environments.

The Effect of Gamma and Beta Radiation on a UVTRON Flame Sensor: Assessment of the Impact on Implementation in a Mixed Radiation Field

“…This work and the preceding work, [5,6], show that the UVTRON could be used to identify that a source is present and locate it using alpha-induced radioluminescence, but only if adequate shielding was provided to prevent both gamma and beta radiation impacting on the UVTRON. Some idea of the magnitude of the source activity could be inferred from the count rate, but the type of radionuclide could not be identified from the UVTRON readings alone.…”

“…However, as polonium is a pure alpha emitter, this work did not establish the effect of other types of radiation, as may be found in the field, on the UVTRON. Further work has been undertaken to assess the reaction of this sensor to the presence of different gases [6] with a view to determining its potential for use in a stand-off alpha detection system. The work detailed in this paper was carried out to determine the effect of beta and gamma radiation on the UVTRON and its associated electronics in order that the design of a detector system using the UVTRON could take into account and minimise or eradicate the effect of this on the determination of the UVC emissions.…”

Design and implementation home security system and monitoring by using wireless sensor networks WSN/internet of things IOT

“…The flame sensor is a type of detectors that intended to detect and react to the presence of a fire or flame, permitting fire recognition [21,22]. The response to the identified flame rely upon the establishment, yet may incorporate issuing an alert, deactivating the fuel line (for example, a petroleum gas line or propane) and starting the fire extinguishing system.…”

Dynamic Enhancement of Nitric Oxide Radioluminescence with Nitrogen Purge

“…Another way to address a daylight background is to use radioluminescence from molecules other than N 2 . A wide variety of species have been shown to produce radioluminescence, where OH, CN, NH, CO 2 , , He 2 , O − are only a few of them 19–21 . Most of them, however, are generally irrelevant for detecting alpha particle radiation since they are commonly not present where remote detection would be required.…”