The Characterization of Scintillator Performance at Temperatures up to 400 Degrees Centigrade

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2013 · Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2013.01.013· OSTI ID:1067307

Boatner, Lynn A ^[1]; Neal, John S ^[1]; Kolopus, James A ^[1]; Ramey, Joanne Oxendine ^[1]; Akkurt, Hatice ^[1]

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1. ORNL

The logging and characterization of geothermal wells requires improved scintillator systems that are capable of operation at temperatures significantly above those commonly encountered in the logging of most conventional oil and gas wells (e.g., temperatures nominally in the range of up to 150oC.) Unfortunately, most of the existing data on the performance of scintillators for radiation detection at elevated temperatures is fragmentary, uncorrelated, and generally limited to relatively low temperatures in most cases to temperatures well below 200oC. We have designed a system for characterizing scintillator performance at temperatures extending up to 400oC under inert atmospheric conditions, and this system is applied here to the determination of scintillator performance at elevated temperatures for a wide range of scintillators including, among others: bismuth germanate, cadmium tungstate, cesium iodide, cesium iodide (Tl), cesium iodide (Na), sodium iodide, sodium iodide (Tl), lutetium oxy-orthosilicate (Ce), zinc tungstate, yttrium aluminum perovskite (Ce), yttrium aluminum garnet (Ce), lutetium aluminum perovskite (Ce), and barium fluoride, strontium iodide(Eu). The results of these high-temperature scintillator performance tests are described in detail here. Comparisons of the relative elevated-temperature properties of the various scintillator materials have resulted in the identification of promising scintillator candidates for high-temperature use in geothermal and fossil-fuel well environments.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: Work for Others (WFO)
• DOE Contract Number: DE-AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1067307
• Journal Information: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 709; ISSN 0168-9002
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

scintillator
temperature variation
gamma ray
well logging
geothermal