Patents by Inventor Mark S. Rowland
Mark S. Rowland has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10557950Abstract: A method of discriminating fissile material from non-fissile material with a digital data acquisition system that collects data at high rate, and processes large volumes of data directly to count neutrons from the unknown source and detect excess grouped neutrons to identify fission. The system includes a Poisson neutron generator for in-beam interrogation of a possible fissile neutron source and inducing neutron emission therefrom, and a DC power supply that exhibits electrical ripple of less than one part per million. A neutron count histogram and Poisson count distribution are overlaid to provide a visual indication of the difference in correlation of natural and induced emitted neutrons from the radiation source to characterize the neutron source as fissile material or non-fissile material.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2018Date of Patent: February 11, 2020Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLCInventors: Mark S Rowland, Neal J Snyderman
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Patent number: 10557949Abstract: A system discriminating fissile material from nonfissile material wherein a digital data acquisition unit collects data at high rate, and processes large volumes of data directly to count neutrons from the unknown source and detect excess grouped neutrons to identify fission. The system includes a Poisson neutron generator for in-beam interrogation of a possible fissile neutron source and inducing neutron emission therefrom, and a DC power supply that exhibits electrical ripple of less than one part per million. A neutron count histogram and Poisson count distribution are overlaid to provide a visual indication of the difference in correlation of natural and induced emitted neutrons from the radiation source to characterize the neutron source as fissile material or non-fissile material.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2018Date of Patent: February 11, 2020Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLCInventors: Mark S Rowland, Neal J Snyderman
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Patent number: 10451749Abstract: A neutron detector system for discriminating fissile material from non-fissile material wherein a digital data acquisition unit collects data at high rate, and in real-time processes large volumes of data directly to count neutrons from the unknown source and detecting excess grouped neutrons to identify fission in the unknown source. The system includes a Poisson neutron generator for in-beam interrogation of a possible fissile neutron source and a DC power supply that exhibits electrical ripple on the order of less than one part per million. Certain voltage multiplier circuits, such as Cockroft-Walton voltage multipliers, are used to enhance the effective of series resistor-inductor circuits components to reduce the ripple associated with traditional AC rectified, high voltage DC power supplies.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2017Date of Patent: October 22, 2019Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLCInventors: Mark S Rowland, Neal J Snyderman
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Patent number: 10061041Abstract: Embodiments are directed to comparison-based methods of conditionally assessing the excess in correlation of an unknown neutron count measurement compared to the correlation present in a data defined as background, and to providing a technical definition of excess correlation intended to properly handle the measured excess correlation. The degree of correlation between an unknown source and background can be used to prevent masking of neutron count data for the source by background radiation.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2014Date of Patent: August 28, 2018Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLCInventors: Mark S. Rowland, Neal J. Snyderman
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Publication number: 20180188394Abstract: A neutron detector system for discriminating fissile material from non-fissile material wherein a digital data acquisition unit collects data at high rate, and in real-time processes large volumes of data directly to count neutrons from the unknown source and detecting excess grouped neutrons to identify fission in the unknown source. The system includes a Poisson neutron generator for in-beam interrogation of a possible fissile neutron source and a DC power supply that exhibits electrical ripple on the order of less than one part per million. Certain voltage multiplier circuits, such as Cockroft-Walton voltage multipliers, are used to enhance the effective of series resistor-inductor circuits components to reduce the ripple associated with traditional AC rectified, high voltage DC power supplies.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 8, 2018Publication date: July 5, 2018Inventors: Mark S Rowland, Neal J Snyderman
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Publication number: 20180188395Abstract: A neutron detector system for discriminating fissile material from non-fissile material wherein a digital data acquisition unit collects data at high rate, and in real-time processes large volumes of data directly to count neutrons from the unknown source and detecting excess grouped neutrons to identify fission in the unknown source. The system includes a Poisson neutron generator for in-beam interrogation of a possible fissile neutron source and a DC power supply that exhibits electrical ripple on the order of less than one part per million. Certain voltage multiplier circuits, such as Cockroft-Walton voltage multipliers, are used to enhance the effective of series resistor-inductor circuits components to reduce the ripple associated with traditional AC rectified, high voltage DC power supplies.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 8, 2018Publication date: July 5, 2018Inventors: Mark S. Rowland, Neal J. Snyderman
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Patent number: 10001571Abstract: A neutron detector system and method for discriminating fissile material from non-fissile material wherein a digital data acquisition unit collects data at high rate, and in real-time processes large volumes of data directly into information that a first responder can use to discriminate materials. The system comprises counting neutrons from the unknown source and detecting excess grouped neutrons to identify fission in the unknown source. Comparison of the observed neutron count distribution with a Poisson distribution is performed to distinguish fissile material from non-fissile material.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2014Date of Patent: June 19, 2018Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLCInventors: Mark S Rowland, Neal J Snyderman
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Patent number: 9880300Abstract: A neutron detector system for discriminating fissile material from non-fissile material wherein a digital data acquisition unit collects data at high rate, and in real-time processes large volumes of data directly to count neutrons from the unknown source and detecting excess grouped neutrons to identify fission in the unknown source. The system includes a Poisson neutron generator for in-beam interrogation of a possible fissile neutron source and a DC power supply that exhibits electrical ripple on the order of less than one part per million. Certain voltage multiplier circuits, such as Cockroft-Walton voltage multipliers, are used to enhance the effective of series resistor-inductor circuits components to reduce the ripple associated with traditional AC rectified, high voltage DC power supplies.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2014Date of Patent: January 30, 2018Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLCInventors: Mark S Rowland, Neal J Snyderman
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Publication number: 20180003832Abstract: A neutron detector system for discriminating fissile material from non-fissile material wherein a digital data acquisition unit collects data at high rate, and in real-time processes large volumes of data directly to count neutrons from the unknown source and detecting excess grouped neutrons to identify fission in the unknown source. The system includes a Poisson neutron generator for in-beam interrogation of a possible fissile neutron source and a DC power supply that exhibits electrical ripple on the order of less than one part per million. Certain voltage multiplier circuits, such as Cockroft-Walton voltage multipliers, are used to enhance the effective of series resistor-inductor circuits components to reduce the ripple associated with traditional AC rectified, high voltage DC power supplies.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2017Publication date: January 4, 2018Inventors: Mark S. Rowland, Neal J. Snyderman
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Publication number: 20170351003Abstract: A neutron detector system for discriminating fissile material from non-fissile material wherein a digital data acquisition unit collects data at high rate, and in real-time processes large volumes of data directly to count neutrons from the unknown source and detecting excess grouped neutrons to identify fission in the unknown source. The system includes a Poisson neutron generator for in-beam interrogation of a possible fissile neutron source and a DC power supply that exhibits electrical ripple on the order of less than one part per million. Certain voltage multiplier circuits, such as Cockroft-Walton voltage multipliers, are used to enhance the effective of series resistor-inductor circuits components to reduce the ripple associated with traditional AC rectified, high voltage DC power supplies.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2014Publication date: December 7, 2017Applicant: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLCInventors: Mark S. Rowland, Neal J. Snyderman
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Patent number: 9201025Abstract: A method of absolute nuclear material assay of an unknown source comprising counting neutrons from the unknown source and providing an absolute nuclear material assay utilizing a model to optimally compare to the measured count distributions. In one embodiment, the step of providing an absolute nuclear material assay comprises utilizing a random sampling of analytically computed fission chain distributions to generate a continuous time-evolving sequence of event-counts by spreading the fission chain distribution in time.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2012Date of Patent: December 1, 2015Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLCInventors: Manoj K. Prasad, Neal J. Snyderman, Mark S. Rowland
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Publication number: 20150092902Abstract: A neutron detector system and method for discriminating fissile material from non-fissile material wherein a digital data acquisition unit collects data at high rate, and in real-time processes large volumes of data directly into information that a first responder can use to discriminate materials. The system comprises counting neutrons from the unknown source and detecting excess grouped neutrons to identify fission in the unknown source. Comparison of the observed neutron count distribution with a Poisson distribution is performed to distinguish fissile material from non-fissile material.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2014Publication date: April 2, 2015Inventors: Mark S. Rowland, Neal J. Snyderman
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Publication number: 20140348286Abstract: Embodiments are directed to comparison-based methods of conditionally assessing the excess in correlation of an unknown neutron count measurement compared to the correlation present in a data defined as background, and to providing a technical definition of excess correlation intended to properly handle the measured excess correlation. The degree of correlation between an unknown source and background can be used to prevent masking of neutron count data for the source by background radiation.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 6, 2014Publication date: November 27, 2014Inventors: Mark S. Rowland, Neal J. Snyderman
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Patent number: 8891720Abstract: A neutron detector system and method for discriminating fissile material from non-fissile material wherein a digital data acquisition unit collects data at high rate, and in real-time processes large volumes of data directly into information that a first responder can use to discriminate materials. The system comprises counting neutrons from the unknown source and detecting excess grouped neutrons to identify fission in the unknown source. Comparison of the observed neutron count distribution with a Poisson distribution is performed to distinguish fissile material from non-fissile material.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2010Date of Patent: November 18, 2014Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLCInventors: Mark S. Rowland, Neal J. Snyderman
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Patent number: 8384004Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a digital data acquisition method that collects data regarding nuclear fission at high rates and performs real-time preprocessing of large volumes of data into directly useable forms for use in a system that performs non-destructive assaying of nuclear material and assemblies for mass and multiplication of special nuclear material (SNM). Pulses from a multi-detector array are fed in parallel to individual inputs that are tied to individual bits in a digital word. Data is collected by loading a word at the individual bit level in parallel, to reduce the latency associated with current shift-register systems. The word is read at regular intervals, all bits simultaneously, with no manipulation. The word is passed to a number of storage locations for subsequent processing, thereby removing the front-end problem of pulse pileup. The word is used simultaneously in several internal processing schemes that assemble the data in a number of more directly useable forms.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2010Date of Patent: February 26, 2013Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National SecurityInventors: Mark S. Rowland, Raymond A. Alvarez
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Publication number: 20120303291Abstract: A method of absolute nuclear material assay of an unknown source comprising counting neutrons from the unknown source and providing an absolute nuclear material assay utilizing a model to optimally compare to the measured count distributions. In one embodiment, the step of providing an absolute nuclear material assay comprises utilizing a random sampling of analytically computed fission chain distributions to generate a continuous time-evolving sequence of event-counts by spreading the fission chain distribution in time.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2012Publication date: November 29, 2012Applicant: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLCInventors: Manoj K. Prasad, Neal J. Snyderman, Mark S. Rowland
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Patent number: 8194814Abstract: A neutron detector system for discriminating fissile material from non-fissile material wherein a digital data acquisition unit collects data at high rate, and in real-time processes large volumes of data directly into information that a first responder can use to discriminate materials. The system comprises counting neutrons from the unknown source and detecting excess grouped neutrons to identify fission in the unknown source. The system includes a graphing component that displays the plot of the neutron distribution from the unknown source over a Poisson distribution and a plot of neutrons due to background or environmental sources. The system further includes a known neutron source placed in proximity to the unknown source to actively interrogate the unknown source in order to accentuate differences in neutron emission from the unknown source from Poisson distributions and/or environmental sources.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2007Date of Patent: June 5, 2012Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLCInventors: Mark S. Rowland, Neal J. Snyderman
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Patent number: 8194813Abstract: A method of absolute nuclear material assay of an unknown source comprising counting neutrons from the unknown source and providing an absolute nuclear material assay utilizing a model to optimally compare to the measured count distributions. In one embodiment, the step of providing an absolute nuclear material assay comprises utilizing a random sampling of analytically computed fission chain distributions to generate a continuous time-evolving sequence of event-counts by spreading the fission chain distribution in time.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2009Date of Patent: June 5, 2012Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLCInventors: Manoj K. Prasad, Neal J. Snyderman, Mark S. Rowland
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Patent number: 8180013Abstract: A method of absolute nuclear material assay of an unknown source comprising counting neutrons from the unknown source and providing an absolute nuclear material assay utilizing a model to optimally compare to the measured count distributions. In one embodiment, the step of providing an absolute nuclear material assay comprises utilizing a random sampling of analytically computed fission chain distributions to generate a continuous time-evolving sequence of event-counts by spreading the fission chain distribution in time.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2008Date of Patent: May 15, 2012Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLCInventors: Manoj K. Prasad, Neal J. Snyderman, Mark S. Rowland
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Publication number: 20120116730Abstract: A method of absolute nuclear material assay of an unknown source comprising counting neutrons from the unknown source and providing an absolute nuclear material assay utilizing a model to optimally compare to the measured count distributions. In one embodiment, the step of providing an absolute nuclear material assay comprises utilizing a random sampling of analytically computed fission chain distributions to generate a continuous time-evolving sequence of event-counts by spreading the fission chain distribution in time.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2009Publication date: May 10, 2012Applicant: LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL SECURITY, LLCInventors: Manoj K. Prasad, Neal J. Snyderman, Mark S. Rowland