Frederick Energy Products, LLC

General Electric Company

Larry David Frederick, Jr

Larry D Frederick

A radiation detector assembly employing an enlarged volume scintillation element and a photomultiplier tube. The scintillation element is surrounded by a reflective material and may be enclosed within a rigid shield for protection against shock and/or humidity. A Sidewall Axial Restraint and Compliance Assembly (SARCA) is positioned radially outside the reflective tape. Radial springs are placed outside the SARCA to provide stiff restraint in the axial and radial directions, The SARCA and springs provide for thermal expansion of the element. A two-stage axial biasing means is positioned at an end of the element, and an optical window may be positioned at the other end. Non-cylindrical portions may be formed along the circumference of the element. These non-cylindrical portions enable a larger element to be placed within the shield. In an alternative embodiment, the element is positioned apart from the photomultiplier tube with no window therebetween. The element is restrained from moving axially toward the photomultiplier tube by a ring attached to the SARCA and fitting in a groove extending around the element, or the element may be in contact with an optical coupler that is bonded to the photomultiplier tube faceplate.

Maximum volume ruggedized scintillation package

A unitized scintillation detector, employing a scintillation element and a photomultiplier tube housed within inner and outer housings for protection against shock, and a scintillation shock assembly. The scintillation element is encased within potting material, which is enclosed within a rigid shield. A reflective coating or tape may be used to optimize light impulse transmission from the element to the photomultiplier. The element is further protected from shock by an elastomeric boot disposed around the shield and within the housing. Elastomeric material cushions the element on one end and a spring system protects the other end. The spring system is pre-loaded against the shield, not the element. Dual windows interfacing the scintillation element and photomultiplier tube at the other end of the element create an hermetic seal. The photomultiplier tube is encased within an elastomer with outwardly directed projections. The photomultiplier tube is protected from radial and axial shock as well as thermal excursions. The optical window is hermetically sealed through the use of a thin braze ring. Alternatively, the window may be hermetically sealed by applying a metal layer directly to the circumference of a sapphire rod or other suitable transparent material by plasma-spraying. The metal may be titanium or layers of titanium, aluminum and/or inconel. The applied metal coating may be shaped, machined and/or etched for interfacing with other structures or containers. The metal coated rod may be sliced into wafers. The wafers may be used to form the hermetically sealed optical windows.

Unitized radiation detector assembly

A unitized scintillation detector, employing a scintillation element and a photomultiplier tube housed within inner and outer housings for protection against shock, and a scintillation shock assembly. The scintillation element is encased within potting material, which is further enclosed within a rigid shield. A reflective coating or reflective tape may be used to optimize light impulse transmission from the element to the photomultiplier. The element is further protected from shock by an elastomeric boot disposed around the shield and within the housing. In addition, elastomeric material cushions the element on one end and a spring system protects the other end. The spring system is pre-loaded against the shield, not the element. Dual windows interfacing the scintillation element and photomultiplier tube at the other end of the element create an hermetic seal. In another embodiment, a single optical window may be used. The photomultiplier tube is encased within an elastomer with outwardly directed projections. The photomultiplier tube is protected from radial and axial shock as well as thermal excursions.

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Madison, AL, United States of America

Larry David Frederick, Jr