NANOSTRUCTURED NEUTRON SENSITIVE MATERIALS FOR WELL LOGGING APPLICATIONS

摘要

An apparatus for estimating a property of an earth formation includes: a neutron source disposed in a borehole; a neutron detector having a neutron detection material that includes a material transparent to light having a plurality of nano-crystallites where each nano-crystallite in the plurality has a periodic crystal structure with a diameter or dimension that is less than 1000 nm and includes atoms of a neutron interaction material that emit a charged particle upon absorbing a received neutron and atoms of an activator material that provide for scintillation upon interacting with the charged particle to emit light photons wherein the atoms of the neutron interaction material and the atoms of the activator material have positions in the periodic crystal structure of each nano-crystallite in the plurality; a photodetector that receives the photons and provides a signal correlated to the photons; and a processor to estimate the property using the signal.

主权项

1. An apparatus for estimating a property of an earth formation penetrated by a borehole, the apparatus comprising:
a carrier configured to be conveyed through the borehole; a neutron source disposed on the carrier and configured to irradiate the formation with neutrons; a neutron detector disposed at the carrier and comprising a neutron detection material, the neutron detection material comprising a material transparent to light having a plurality of nano-crystallites where each nano-crystallite in the plurality has a periodic crystal structure with a diameter or dimension that is less than 1000 nm and includes atoms of a neutron interaction material that emit a charged particle upon absorbing a received neutron and atoms of an activator material that provide for scintillation upon interacting with the charged particle to emit light photons wherein the atoms of the neutron interaction material and the atoms of the activator material have positions in the periodic crystal structure of each nano-crystallite in the plurality; a photodetector optically coupled to the neutron detection material and configured to detect the light photons emitted from the scintillation and to provide a signal correlated to the detected light photons; and a processor configured to estimate the property using the signal.