ADELPHI TECHNOLOGY INC — Department of Energy SBIR Phase II: 01c

Description

The proliferation of nuclear weapons presents unparalleled danger.Critical to preventing the spread of such weapons of mass destruction is the detection and characterization of both the production and movement of special nuclear materials.Neutron interrogation techniques, including Associated Particle Imaging (API), are valuable tools in this effort, but the limited capability of portable neutron systems tightly constrains their application.Advancements in the versatility, performance and portability of neutron generators, and API generators in particular, are needed.Adelphi is leveraging recent advances in its neutron generator technology along with low-cost semiconductor alpha detectors to produce a revolutionary, hand-portable API neutron imaging system.With the advent of its solid-state microwave driven ion source, Adelphi is able to offer a small, light-weight, portable API system.Furthermore, taking advantage of the precision tuning of the solid-state microwave drive, the neutron output can be adjusted over two orders of magnitude, allowing the generator to be used for both single particle counting elemental analysis, which requires a low intensity, and projection imaging, which requires high intensity.Novel semiconductor alpha particle detectors developed by a government accelerator laboratory provide a rugged, very low-cost solution to provide the spatial and temporal resolution necessary for the system.The novel alpha-detector was integrated onto Adelphi’s neutron generator, demonstrating compatibility between these two technologies.A design for a next generation miniature, high yield API system was developed.A miniaturized portable system will be built as a test-bed for development.Subcomponents will be improved and ruggedized, and finally incorporated into a field deployable prototype system.API systems allow 3D compositional analysis of a scene.For security, this can be used for screening luggage and baggage, or potentially vehicles or cargo containers.Neutron interrogation has the potential to detect and image nuclear materials including uranium and plutonium, even when it is shielded by neutron and gamma absorbing or scattering materials.This API system could be used for mining, to image the composition of the material behind the rockface.This could provide miners with the ability to identify the location of mineral-rich seams, several feet deep, without physically removing rock.A further application could be the non-destructive testing of structures, such as buildings and bridges.The 3D volumetric composition may be determined and any voids, or corrosion identified.