ABSTRACT

The neutron radiography is a well known technique used in a non-destructive testing and inspection since 1990 for addressing difficult and specialized problems. The technique is mainly based on the significant properties of the neutrons that they do not get affected by the electromagnetic forces and thus penetrates deeply into matter; they interact only with nuclei with high specificity. It is useful for internal characterization of many materials and engineering components. The neutron radiography is now well developed in recent years with digital detection systems, enabling higher sensitivities, much easier handling of the data, larger dynamic ranges and the ease to use the digital image information for more quantitative evaluations. It has also extended the scope of neutron imaging yielding both two and three dimensional information about various material properties and phenomena inaccessible until now. Material detection techniques based on two dimensional projection imaging are now commercially available, due to the considerably simpler source and detector requirements. The behaviour of the point scattered function can also be studied for the advanced fast neutron radiography to reveal the effects of neutron beam scattering. However there is a wide future scope available in neutron imaging associated with the development of time-of-flight methods that exploit the time structure of neutron pulses generated. A further research for the improvements in neutron sources, detectors, scanning techniques and software will continue focus on the development of neutron-based scanning systems and their roles in the detection of contraband materials. The neutron radiography technique can be effectively adopted in various research fields and industrial applications, such as, metallurgy and material science, biology, medicines, fuel cells, strain distributions, fluid flow and diffusion, detection of explosives and contrabands, determining hydrogen compositions in metal hydrides, investigation of investment-cast turbine blades, radioactive assemblies, etc.

Keywords: Neutron radiography, digital detection systems, two and three dimensional projection imaging, Point Scattered Function, time-of-flight methods, contraband materials, etc.

CONTENTS
Chapter No. LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF TABLES NOMENCLATURE Title Page No. iv v vi

1.

INTRODUCTION 1.1 Motivation 1.1.1 1.2 Applications of neutron radiography

1 1 1 2 2

Scope of the present work 1.2.1 1.2.2 Principle of neutron radiography Comparison of neutron radiography and X-ray radiography 1.2.3 Limitations

2 3 3

1.3

Conclusions

2.

LITERATURE TECHNOQUE 2.1 2.2

REVIEW

ON

NEUTRON

RADIOGRAPHIC 4 4 5 5 6 7 8 8 8 8 9 9 11 11 11

Neutron sources Advances in the field of neutron radiography 2.2.1 2.2.2 2.2.3 Digital detectors in practical neutron imaging Camera systems Imaging plates

2.3

Fast neutron radiography 2.3.1 2.3.2 2.3.3 2.3.4 2.3.5 Scattering effect Point spread function Point scattered function Analytical approach Results

2.4

Neutron radiography for the detection of contraband 2.4.1 2.4.2 Material identification using neutrons Two and three dimensional approaches ii

2.4.3 2.5

Air cargo inspection

12 12 13 13 14 14

Neutron imaging of metal hydride storage beds 2.5.1 2.5.2 2.5.3 Need of neutron transmission Neutron radiography and tomography Experimentation

2.6

Conclusions

3.

CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE SCOPE

15

REFERENCES

16

iii

LIST OF FIGURES
Fig. No. Title Page No.

1.1 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9

Neutron radiography configuration [4] Principle of a CCD detection system for neutron imaging [5] PScF for different materials [3] Steel PScF for different sample thickness [3] Steel PScF for different sample-to-detector distances [3] Steel PScF for different angular distributions [3] Steel PScF for different neutron spectra [3] Steel PScF for different geometries [3] PScF for a spherical steel sample with different diameters [3] PScF for a cylindrical steel sample with different diameters [3]

2 6 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

2.10

An air cargo image from the X-ray/fast-neutron scanning system [2]

12

2.11

Schematic of the neutron imaging facility for in situ radiography and tomography measurements [4]

13

2.12

Radial H distribution at three different points along the bed: (a) near the end of the bed at the bends in the internal heaters, (b) near the centre of the imaged area, and (c) at the opposite end of the imaged area [4]

14

iv

LIST OF TABLES
Table No. Title Page No.

2.1

Performance parameters of different neutron detection systems for imaging purposes under the conditions at the radiography station [5] 7

NOMENCLATURE
Alphabetical symbols d L z Diameter of the aperture Distance between the incident aperture of the collimator and the imaging plate Detector-to-sample distance

Greek symbols

g
Subscripts

Geometric spatial blurr

g
Abbreviations CCD CID CMOS FWHM NDT NMR PScF PSF SIT TNT

Geometric

Charge coupled device Charge injection device Complementary metal oxide semiconductor Full width at half maximum Non-destructive testing Nuclear magnetic resonance Point scattered function Point spread function Silicon intensified tube Trinitrotoluene

vi

DECLARATION SHEET
I declare that this written submission represents my ideas in my own words and where others ideas or words have been included, I have adequately cited and referenced the original sources. I also declare that I have adhered to all principles of academic honesty and integrity and have not misrepresented or fabricated or falsified any idea/data/fact/source in my submission. I understand that any violation of the above will be cause for disciplinary action by the Institute and can also evoke penal action from the sources which have thus not been properly cited or from whom proper permission has not been taken when needed.

Signature: Name: SHRIYA VIJAY PAWAR Roll No.: 123100043

Date: 15th March, 2013

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