The acquisition of neutron time spectrum data plays a pivotal role in the precise quantification of uranium via prompt fission neutron uranium logging(PFNUL).However,the impact of the detector dead-time effect remains...The acquisition of neutron time spectrum data plays a pivotal role in the precise quantification of uranium via prompt fission neutron uranium logging(PFNUL).However,the impact of the detector dead-time effect remains paramount in the accurate acquisition of the neutron time spectrum.Therefore,it is imperative for neutron logging instruments to establish a dead-time correction method that is not only uncomplicated but also practical and caters to various logging sites.This study has formulated an innovative equation for determining dead time and introduced a dead-time correction method for the neutron time spectrum,called the“dual flux method.”Using this approach,a logging instrument captures two neutron time spectra under disparate neutron fluxes.By carefully selecting specific“windows”on the neutron time spectrum,the dead time can be accurately ascertained.To substantiate its efficacy and discern the influencing factors,experiments were conducted utilizing a deuterium-tritium(D-T)neutron source,a Helium-3(3He)detector,and polyethylene shielding to collate and analyze the neutron time spectrum under varying neutron fluxes(at high voltages).The findings underscore that the“height”and“spacing”of the two windows are the most pivotal influencing factors.Notably,the“height”(fd)should surpass 2,and the“spacing”twd should exceed 200μs.The dead time of the 3 He detector determined in the experiment was 7.35μs.After the dead-time correction,the deviation of the decay coefficients from the theoretical values for the neutron time spectrum under varying neutron fluxes decreased from 12.4%to within 5%.Similarly,for the PFNUL instrument,the deviation in the decay coefficients decreased from 22.94 to 0.49%after correcting for the dead-time effect.These results demonstrate the exceptional efficacy of the proposed method in ensuring precise uranium quantification.The dual flux method was experimentally validated as a universal approach applicable to pulsed neutron logging instruments and holds immense significance for uranium exploration.展开更多
Prompt fission neutron uranium logging(PFNUL)is an advanced method for utilizing pulsed neutron bombardment of the ore layer and a fission reaction with uranium(^(235)U)to detect the transient neutrons produced by fis...Prompt fission neutron uranium logging(PFNUL)is an advanced method for utilizing pulsed neutron bombardment of the ore layer and a fission reaction with uranium(^(235)U)to detect the transient neutrons produced by fission and then directly measure and quantify uranium;however,the stability and lifetime performance of pulsed neutron sources are the key constraints to its rapid promotion.To address these problems,this study proposes a PFNUL technique for acquiring the time spectrum of dual-energy neutrons(epithermal and thermal neutrons)from the upper and lower detection structures and establishes a novel uranium quantification algorithm based on the ratio of epithermal and thermal neutron time windows(E/T)via a mathematical-physical modeling derivation.Through simulations on well-logging models with di erent uranium contents,the starting and stopping times of the time window(Δt)for uranium quantification in the dual-energy neutron time spectrum are determined to be 200 and 800μs,respectively.The minimum radius and height of the model wells are 60 and 120 cm,respectively,and the E/T values in the time window show an excellent linear relationship with the uranium content.The scale factor is K_(E/T)=1.92 and R^(2)=0.999,which verifies the validity of the E/T uranium quantification algorithm.In addition,experiments were carried out in the Nu series of uranium standard model wells,and the results showed that under di erent neutron source yields,the E/T-based uranium quantification method reduced the relative standard deviation of the scale factor of the uranium content from 33.41%to 1.09%,compared with a single epithermal neutron quantification method.These results prove that the E/T value uranium quantification method is una ected by the change in the neutron source yield,e ectively improves the accuracy and service life of the logging instrument,and has great scientific and popularization value.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.42374226)Jiangxi Provincial Natural Science Foundation(Nos.20232BAB201043 and 20232BCJ23006)+2 种基金Nuclear Energy Development Project(20201192-01)National Key Laboratory of Uranium Resource Exploration-Mining and Nuclear Remote Sensing(ECUT)(2024QZ-TD-09)Fundamental Science on Radioactive Geology and Exploration Technology Laboratory(2022RGET20).
文摘The acquisition of neutron time spectrum data plays a pivotal role in the precise quantification of uranium via prompt fission neutron uranium logging(PFNUL).However,the impact of the detector dead-time effect remains paramount in the accurate acquisition of the neutron time spectrum.Therefore,it is imperative for neutron logging instruments to establish a dead-time correction method that is not only uncomplicated but also practical and caters to various logging sites.This study has formulated an innovative equation for determining dead time and introduced a dead-time correction method for the neutron time spectrum,called the“dual flux method.”Using this approach,a logging instrument captures two neutron time spectra under disparate neutron fluxes.By carefully selecting specific“windows”on the neutron time spectrum,the dead time can be accurately ascertained.To substantiate its efficacy and discern the influencing factors,experiments were conducted utilizing a deuterium-tritium(D-T)neutron source,a Helium-3(3He)detector,and polyethylene shielding to collate and analyze the neutron time spectrum under varying neutron fluxes(at high voltages).The findings underscore that the“height”and“spacing”of the two windows are the most pivotal influencing factors.Notably,the“height”(fd)should surpass 2,and the“spacing”twd should exceed 200μs.The dead time of the 3 He detector determined in the experiment was 7.35μs.After the dead-time correction,the deviation of the decay coefficients from the theoretical values for the neutron time spectrum under varying neutron fluxes decreased from 12.4%to within 5%.Similarly,for the PFNUL instrument,the deviation in the decay coefficients decreased from 22.94 to 0.49%after correcting for the dead-time effect.These results demonstrate the exceptional efficacy of the proposed method in ensuring precise uranium quantification.The dual flux method was experimentally validated as a universal approach applicable to pulsed neutron logging instruments and holds immense significance for uranium exploration.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.42374226)Jiangxi Provincial Natural Science Foundation(Nos.20232BAB201043,gpyc20240073,and 20232BCJ23006)+2 种基金Nuclear Energy Development Project(20201192-01)Fundamental Science on Radioactive Geology and Exploration Technology Laboratory(2022RGET20)National Key Laboratory of Uranium Resource Exploration-Mining and Nuclear Remote Sensing(ECUT)(2024QZ-TD-09)。
文摘Prompt fission neutron uranium logging(PFNUL)is an advanced method for utilizing pulsed neutron bombardment of the ore layer and a fission reaction with uranium(^(235)U)to detect the transient neutrons produced by fission and then directly measure and quantify uranium;however,the stability and lifetime performance of pulsed neutron sources are the key constraints to its rapid promotion.To address these problems,this study proposes a PFNUL technique for acquiring the time spectrum of dual-energy neutrons(epithermal and thermal neutrons)from the upper and lower detection structures and establishes a novel uranium quantification algorithm based on the ratio of epithermal and thermal neutron time windows(E/T)via a mathematical-physical modeling derivation.Through simulations on well-logging models with di erent uranium contents,the starting and stopping times of the time window(Δt)for uranium quantification in the dual-energy neutron time spectrum are determined to be 200 and 800μs,respectively.The minimum radius and height of the model wells are 60 and 120 cm,respectively,and the E/T values in the time window show an excellent linear relationship with the uranium content.The scale factor is K_(E/T)=1.92 and R^(2)=0.999,which verifies the validity of the E/T uranium quantification algorithm.In addition,experiments were carried out in the Nu series of uranium standard model wells,and the results showed that under di erent neutron source yields,the E/T-based uranium quantification method reduced the relative standard deviation of the scale factor of the uranium content from 33.41%to 1.09%,compared with a single epithermal neutron quantification method.These results prove that the E/T value uranium quantification method is una ected by the change in the neutron source yield,e ectively improves the accuracy and service life of the logging instrument,and has great scientific and popularization value.
