G01N 23/02 - Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups , or by transmitting the radiation through the material
A device for measuring water content of the ground, vegetation and snow includes an ambient neutron detector to measure ambient neutron flow, having first and second sheets made at least partially with a scintillator. A light meter measures light conveyed by a light guide interposed between the first and second sheets. The ambient neutron detector transforms interaction with particle(s) into an electric charge. A programmable control unit connects to the ambient neutron detector, and includes an integrating circuit transforming the electric charge produced by interaction with the particle(s) into a signal. The control unit processes the signal to discriminate a signal generated by ambient neutron, incident cosmic rays and/or background noise, and measures ambient neutron flow, incident cosmic rays, and/or background noise. The measurement of the water content is obtained from measurement of normalized ambient neutron flow with respect to measurement of cosmic rays flow incident to the ground.
G01N 23/00 - Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups , or
G01N 23/06 - Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups , or by transmitting the radiation through the material and measuring the absorption
G01N 23/09 - Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups , or by transmitting the radiation through the material and measuring the absorption the radiation being neutrons
G01N 23/00 - Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups , or
G01N 23/06 - Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups , or by transmitting the radiation through the material and measuring the absorption
G01N 23/09 - Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups , or by transmitting the radiation through the material and measuring the absorption the radiation being neutrons
5.
DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MEASURING THE WATER CONTENT OF THE GROUND, VEGETATION AND/OR SNOW
A device (12) for measuring the water content of the ground, vegetation and snow comprises at least one ambient neutron detector (14) adapted to measure an ambient neutron flow, of the type comprising a first sheet (16) and a second sheet (18) made at least partially with a scintillator. A light guide (20) is interposed between the first sheet (16) and the second sheet (18). The ambient neutron detector (14) further comprising at least one light meter (22, 24) adapted to measure the light conveyed by the light guide (20). The ambient neutron detector (14) is adapted to transform the interaction with at least one particle into an electric charge. The device (12) further comprises a control unit (26), of the programmable type, and operatively connected to the at least one ambient neutron detector (14). The control unit (26) comprises an integrating circuit (28) in which the electric charge produced by the interaction with the at least one particle is transformed in a signal. The control unit (26) is adapted to process the signal so as to discriminate a signal generated by ambient neutron, incident cosmic rays and/or background noise, and obtaining a measurement of ambient neutron flow, incident cosmic rays, and/or background noise. The measurement of the water content of the ground, vegetation and/or snow is obtained from the measurement of the normalized ambient neutron flow with respect to the measurement of the cosmic rays flow incident to the ground.
A device (12) for measuring the water content of the ground, vegetation and snow comprises at least one ambient neutron detector (14) adapted to measure an ambient neutron flow, of the type comprising a first sheet (16) and a second sheet (18) made at least partially with a scintillator. A light guide (20) is interposed between the first sheet (16) and the second sheet (18). The ambient neutron detector (14) further comprising at least one light meter (22, 24) adapted to measure the light conveyed by the light guide (20). The ambient neutron detector (14) is adapted to transform the interaction with at least one particle into an electric charge. The device (12) further comprises a control unit (26), of the programmable type, and operatively connected to the at least one ambient neutron detector (14). The control unit (26) comprises an integrating circuit (28) in which the electric charge produced by the interaction with the at least one particle is transformed in a signal. The control unit (26) is adapted to process the signal so as to discriminate a signal generated by ambient neutron, incident cosmic rays and/or background noise, and obtaining a measurement of ambient neutron flow, incident cosmic rays, and/or background noise. The measurement of the water content of the ground, vegetation and/or snow is obtained from the measurement of the normalized ambient neutron flow with respect to the measurement of the cosmic rays flow incident to the ground.
patents
