David Michael Farkas

Title: David Michael Farkas and Neutron Radiography Innovation.

Introduction

David Michael Farkas is an inventor associated with Benicia, California, and General Electric Company. His patent work concerns neutron radiography and the measurement of hydrogen in irradiated boiling water reactor (BWR) fuel elements.

Latest Patents

Farkas is credited with 1 patent: “Modified Notched Energy Filter Neutron Radiography Camera.” The invention describes a camera designed to work with a neutron beam source to determine hydrogen content in irradiated BWR fuel elements.

The camera uses a notched neutron spectrum filter and is configured for the tubular geometry of nuclear fuel rods. Ports in its base unit direct filtered neutrons toward the fuel element’s periphery, including its zirconium-alloy cladding. When neutrons collide with hydrogen, they lose energy and scatter at preferential angles. Scatter cavities guide these neutrons toward absorber plates, which become activated through resonance absorption. The activation provides a basis for determining the hydrogen content.

Career Highlights

Farkas’s documented patent highlights an application of neutron imaging to nuclear fuel inspection. By using neutron scattering and activated absorber plates, the camera offers a method for assessing hydrogen in irradiated fuel elements.

Collaborations

The supplied information identifies Daniel Reese Lutz as Farkas’s coworker. It does not specify their roles in the patent or describe the nature of their collaboration.

Conclusion

David Michael Farkas’s patent work focuses on a specialized neutron radiography camera for measuring hydrogen in BWR fuel elements, reflecting an engineering approach to nuclear fuel inspection.