Method and apparatus for detecting and locating explosives, biological, and chemical substances in ducts and structures using tracers

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for detecting, locating, and quantifying explosive materials and devices, and naturally occurring and man-made dangerous or hazardous biological and chemical materials and devices in ducts or piping systems, or other fluid flow systems in buildings such as residential, office, industrial, and power plants, transportation systems such as ships, airplanes, subways, and trains, and various types of infrastructure such as dams, tunnels, or bridges, and in the rooms, compartments, enclosures, containers, or difficult to access areas in these buildings, transportation systems, and structures. The preferred embodiment of this detection and location method uses a conservative tracer and one or more interactive tracers that are injected into the duct or area to be searched at one location and then monitored at the same or another location in the duct or area. Alternative embodiments, which are quicker and just as accurate for detection and location, require only the use of interactive tracers. Detection, location, and quantification are accomplished by analysis of the characteristic features of measured curves of tracer concentration. Various types of interactive tracers may be used, including partitioning and reactive tracer gaseous tracers.