Aerial cdznte inspection system and inspection method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018284302-A1
Application number	US-201615740813-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 23, 2016
Priority date	Dec 24, 2015
Publication date	Oct 4, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of radiation detection, and provides a CdZnTe aerial inspection system and an inspection method. The inspection system comprises a CdZnTe spectrometer (10) and an aircraft (20). The aircraft (20) flies and carries the CdZnTe spectrometer (10) to realize a function of aerial inspection, thereby improving operating efficiency of nuclear radiation monitoring. The CdZnTe spectrometer (10) has high energy resolution, a small volume, a light weight, and desirable portability. By combining the CdZnTe spectrometer (10) and the aircraft (20), the present invention enables high measurement precision, a long operation duration, and an aerial access to a site of a nuclear accident to perform operations and inspect the site, thus reducing radiation exposure received by a person entering the site, and providing support for rescue operation.

First claim

1 - 2 . (canceled)

3 . An aerial CdZnTe inspection system, comprising:
a CdZnTe spectrometer for detecting rays and transmitting energy spectrum information of the rays; an aircraft for flying with the CdZnTe spectrometer to perform aerial inspection, and transmitting navigation information, altitude information, and a video image of an inspection area of the aircraft; and a workstation system for drawing a three-dimensional radioactive material distribution profile and a three-dimensional dose distribution profile according to the navigation information and altitude information from the aircraft and the energy spectrum information from the CdZnTe spectrometer, and overlaying the radioactive material distribution profile and the dose distribution profile on the video image of the inspection area.

4 . The aerial CdZnTe inspection system according to claim 3 , wherein the CdZnTe spectrometer comprises:
a CdZnTe crystal for converting incident gamma rays into an electrical signal; an amplifier for processing the electrical signal to produce a quasi-Gaussian waveform signal with amplitude proportional to energy of the gamma rays; a digital multichannel analyzer for processing the quasi-Gaussian waveform signal to produce a digital signal; and a wireless transceiver for transmitting the digital signal.

5 . The aerial CdZnTe inspection system according to claim 4 , wherein the CdZnTe crystal is nested within a cylindrical collimator in such a manner that the rays can enter into the CdZnTe crystal through a ground-facing surface of the crystal.

6 . The aerial CdZnTe inspection system according to claim 4 , wherein the CdZnTe spectrometer further comprises a high voltage power supply that supplies a bias voltage to the CdZnTe crystal.

7 . The aerial CdZnTe inspection system according to claim 3 , wherein the aircraft comprises a navigation device, a range finder for measuring altitude information, and a video capture device.

8 . The aerial CdZnTe inspection system according to claim 7 , wherein the navigation device comprises at least one of a Beidou navigation device or a Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation device.

9 . The aerial CdZnTe inspection system according to claim 7 , wherein the aircraft further comprises:
a flight controller for controlling the flight of the aircraft, according to a preset flight route or flight instructions from the workstation system.

10 . The aerial CdZnTe inspection system according to claim 3 , wherein the workstation system comprises:
a wireless transceiver for receiving the energy spectrum information from the CdZnTe spectrometer, and receiving the navigation information, altitude information, and a video image of an inspection area from the aircraft; a workstation for identifying nuclides, determining a type and intensity of a radioactive material and a dose rate of rays according to the energy spectrum information, drawing the radioactive material distribution profile according to the type and intensity of a radioactive material in combination with the navigation information and altitude information from the aircraft, drawing the dose distribution profile according to the dose rate of rays in combination with the navigation information and altitude information from the aircraft, and overlaying the radioactive material distribution profile and the dose distribution profile on the video image of the inspection area; and a display for displaying the video image of the inspection area, the radioactive material distribution profile and the dose distribution profile, or the video image of the inspection area with the radioactive material distribution profile and the dose distribution profile overlaid on.

11 - 14 . (canceled)

15 . An aerial CdZnTe inspection method, comprising:
obtaining energy spectrum information of rays from a CdZnTe spectrometer; obtaining navigation information, altitude information, a video image of an inspection area from an aircraft which is flying with the CdZnTe spectrometer to perform aerial inspection; and drawing a three-dimensional radioactive material distribution profile and a three-dimensional dose distribution profile according to the navigation information and altitude information from the aircraft and the energy spectrum information from the CdZnTe spectrometer, and overlaying the radioactive material distribution profile and the dose distribution profile on the video image of the inspection area.

16 . The aerial CdZnTe inspection method according to claim 15 , wherein:
the radioactive material distribution profile is drawn according to the navigation information and altitude information from the aircraft in combination with a type and intensity of a radioactive material, which are determined from the energy spectrum information; and the dose distribution profile is drawn according to the navigation information and altitude information from the aircraft in combination with a dose rate of rays, which are determined from the energy spectrum information.

17 . An aerial CdZnTe inspection apparatus, comprising:
a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to perform the aerial CdZnTe inspection method of claim 15 based on instructions stored in the memory.

18 . An aerial CdZnTe inspection apparatus, comprising:
a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to perform the aerial CdZnTe inspection method of claim 16 based on instructions stored in the memory.

19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program which implements the steps of the aerial CdZnTe inspection method of claim 15 when executed by a processor.

20 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program which implements the steps of the aerial CdZnTe inspection method of claim 16 when executed by a processor. the aerial CdZnTe inspection method of claim 16 when executed by a processor.

21 . An aerial CdZnTe inspection apparatus, comprising:
a first acquiring module for obtaining energy spectrum information of rays from a CdZnTe spectrometer; a second acquiring module for obtaining navigation information, altitude information, a video image of an inspection area from a aircraft which is flying with the CdZnTe spectrometer to perform aerial inspection; and an information processing module for drawing a three-dimensional radioactive material distribution profile and a three-dimensional dose distribution profile according to the navigation information and altitude information from the aircraft and the energy spectrum information from the CdZnTe spectrometer, and overlaying the radioactive material distribution profile and the dose distribution profile on the video image of the inspection area.

22 . The aerial CdZnTe inspection apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein:
the radioactive material distribution profile is drawn according to the navigation information and altitude information from the aircraft in combination with a type and intensity of a radioactive material, which are determined from the energy spectrum information; and the dose distribution profile is drawn according to the navigation information and altitude information from the aircraft in combination with a dose rate of rays, which are determined from the energy spectrum information.

Assignees

• Nuctech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhang Lan
• Wang Weizhi
• Du Yingshuai
• Wu Zonggui
• Zhang Wei
• Ma Xuming
• Zhao Kun
• Li Jun

Classifications

• G01T1/026 Primary

  Semiconductor dose-rate meters · CPC title

• G01N2021/177

  Detector of the video camera type · CPC title

• G01T1/366 Primary

  with semi-conductor detectors · CPC title

• G05D1/0202

  specially adapted to aircraft · CPC title

• G01N21/17

  Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated (where the material investigated is optically excited causing a change in wavelength of the incident light G01N21/63) · CPC title