Abstract:
Disclosed is a device and method for generating X-rays having different energy levels as well as a material discrimination system thereof. The method comprises the steps of: generating a first pulse voltage, a second pulse voltage, a third pulse voltage and a fourth pulse voltage, generating a first electron beam having a first beam load and a second electron beam having a second beam load, respectively, based on the first pulse voltage and second pulse voltage, generating a first microwave having a first power and a second microwave having a second power, respectively, based on the third pulse voltage and the fourth pulse voltage, accelerating the first and second electron beams respectively using the first and second microwave to obtain the accelerated first electron beam and the second electron beam, hitting a target with the accelerated first electron beam and the second electron beam to generate a first X-ray and a second X-ray having different energy levels. The X-rays having different energy levels generated by the present invention can be used in the non-destructive inspection for large-sized container cargo at places such as Customs, ports and airports, and in realizing the material discrimination for the inspected object.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to an electron linac (electron linear accelerator) for radiographic imaging of large and medium-sized objects, more particularly, to an electron linear acceleration device for generating X-rays having different energy levels and a method thereof as well as a material discrimination system, which can discriminate the material contained in the large and medium-sized objects such as cargo or air cargo containers. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present application claims priority of Chinese patent application Ser. No. 200610011944.4, filed May 19, 2006, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
   The existing cargo inspection system based on radiographic imaging generally causes a single energy radiation to interact with the object under inspection, and then detects the radiation having penetrated the object under inspection to obtain an image. Although such a system can reflect the change in shape and mass thickness of the object under inspection, it can&#39;t discriminate the material property of the object under inspection. 
   As the concern on global anti-terrorism grows, the inspection requirements for dangerous and prohibited articles are enhanced, whereby various detection means being proposed, in which a material discrimination method employing dual-energy X-ray imaging can achieve the discrimination between substances&#39; effective atomic numbers, therefore is widely used in low energy range (&lt;450 keV). As is well known, photoelectric absorption and Compton scatter effects predominate when X-rays within low energy range interact with the substance. Since the relationship between attenuation index corresponding to photoelectric absorption effect and atomic number is μ photo ∝Z 4 , the dual-energy method is well capable of distinguishing the difference between various atomic numbers. 
   However, when X-rays within high energy range (&gt;1 MeV) interact with the substance, electron pair generation and Compton scatter effects predominate, and the relationship between attenuation index corresponding to electron pair generation effect and atomic number is μ pair ∝Z, which makes the sensitivity of the dual-energy method low in distinguishing atomic numbers in high energy range. Thus the requirement for the system detection accuracy is very high. The U.S. Pat. No. 6,069,936 and the international application WO 0043760 both disclose that a single high-energy X-ray source is employed, and two X-ray beams having different energy spectra are obtained through the absorption of specific material. However, since a single high-energy X-ray generates only one original energy spectrum, the energy spectra of two radiation beams obtained through the absorption of specific material will become almost the same after the two ray beams having different energy spectra pass through the inspected object of large mass thickness and attenuate accordingly. At this time it is impossible to distinguish the effective atomic number of the substance. If two beams of high-energy X-rays having different original energy levels and spectra are generated respectively by using tow radiation sources in order to identify material, the system will be too complex and costly. 
   Consequently, it has been considering as impractical to implement large-sized object inspection and material discrimination by the dual-energy method in high energy range. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In view of the above problem with the prior art, the present invention is accomplished. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electron linac for generating X-rays having different energy levels and a method thereof as well as a material discrimination system, which can alternately generate electron beams having different energy spectra, of which the energy levels are distinct from each other, and alternately generate X-rays having different energy spectra by use of electron beam targeting. By causing X-rays of two energy levels to interact with the substance, it is possible to non-destructively inspect large and medium-sized objects and identify the material contained. 
   According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device for alternately generating X-rays having different energy levels comprising: a pulse modulation means for generating a first pulse voltage, a second pulse voltage, a third pulse voltage and a fourth pulse voltage; an electron beam generation means for generating a first electron beam having a first beam load and a second electron beam having a second beam load, respectively, based on the first pulse voltage and the second pulse voltage; a microwave generation means for generating a first microwave having a first power and a second microwave having a second power, respectively, based on the third pulse voltage and the fourth pulse voltage; an electron beam acceleration means for accelerating the first electron beam and the second electron beam respectively using the first microwave and the second microwave to obtain the accelerated first electron beam and the accelerated second electron beam; and a target to be hit by the accelerated first electron beam and the accelerated second electron beam to generate a first X-ray and a second X-ray having different energy levels. 
   According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electron beam generation means comprises a grid-controlled electron gun, and the pulse modulation means comprises a power supply whose grid pulse amplitudes alternate. 
   According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first beam load is greater than the second beam load, and the first power is smaller than the second power. 
   According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first beam load is smaller than the second beam load, and the first power is greater than the second power. 
   According to an embodiment of the present invention, the microwave generation means alternately change the intensity of magnetic field in synchronization with the third pulse voltage and the fourth pulse voltage to generate the first microwave and the second microwave. 
   According to an embodiment of the present invention, the microwave generation means is a magnetron or a klystron. 
   According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electron beam acceleration means is a traveling wave acceleration tube or a standing wave acceleration tube. 
   According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a material discrimination system comprising: the device as described above; a synchronization control means for generating a synchronization control signal; a detection means for detecting X-rays after the first X-ray and second X-ray generated by the device interact with the inspected object, based on the synchronization control signal generated by the synchronization control means, to generate digital signals; and an image processing and material discrimination means for classifying the digital signals for the inspected object with a predefined calibration curve to discriminate the material of the inspected object. 
   According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device for alternately generating X-rays having different energy levels comprising: a pulse modulation means for generating a first pulse voltage and a second pulse voltage; an electron beam generation means for generating a first electron beam having a first beam load and a second electron beam having a second beam load, respectively, based on the first pulse voltage and second pulse voltage; a microwave generation means for changing the intensity of magnetic field in synchronization with the first pulse voltage and second pulse voltage to generate a first microwave having a first power and a second microwave having a second power; an electron beam acceleration means for accelerating the first electron beam and the second electron beam respectively using the first microwave and the second microwave to obtain the accelerated first electron beam and the second electron beam; and a target to be hit by the accelerated first electron beam and accelerated second electron beam to generate a first X-ray and a second X-ray having different energy levels 
   According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for alternately generating X-rays having different energy levels comprises the steps of: generating a first pulse voltage, a second pulse voltage, a third pulse voltage and a fourth pulse voltage; generating a first electron beam having a first beam load and a second electron beam having a second beam load, respectively, based on the first pulse voltage and second pulse voltage; generating a first microwave having a first power and a second microwave having a second power, respectively, based on the third pulse voltage and fourth pulse voltage; accelerating the first electron beam and second electron beam respectively using the first microwave and second microwave to obtain the accelerated first electron beam and the second electron beam; and hitting a target with the accelerated first electron beam and accelerated second electron beam to generate a first X-ray and a second X-ray having different energy levels. 
   As a result, the accelerated electron beams having different energy levels can be obtained by changing synchronously the beam load intensity of the accelerator. Meanwhile, the energy level difference between two accelerated electron beams can be further widened by synchronously changing the microwave power fed into the acceleration tube. The X-rays, which result from the targeting by the two electron beams having different energy levels, have a large difference between energy levels, that is, a great distinction between the energy spectra of the two X-ray beams. 
   With the present invention, by changing the relevant preset parameters to change the pulse voltages of the electron gun and the microwave power, the electron beams having different energy levels can be obtained and thereby the X-rays having different energy levels. This requires no structural change in the accelerator and can meet the requirements of variety of applications. 
   In addition, the alternately generated high-energy X-rays with a large energy difference can implement the material discrimination for large and medium-sized objects with a higher accuracy. 
   Further, the present invention realizes a rapid switching between two different energy levels by circuit configuration, thereby overcoming the limitation of the conventional energy switch with a mechanic structure, that is, the mechanic switch has difficulty in rapid switching between two different energy levels and has a short life. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1A  shows the electron-emitting characteristic of an electron gun; 
       FIG. 1B  is a schematic diagram of accelerated electron energy varying with beam load; 
       FIG. 1C  is a schematic diagram of accelerated electron energy varying with fed microwave power; 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of the parameter relationship between respective main systems of the accelerator while alternately generating X-rays having different energy levels according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of the variation in accelerated electron energy when simultaneously changing beam load and fed microwave power; 
       FIG. 4A  is a structural schematic diagram of the electron linac according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4B  is a schematic diagram showing a bipolar electron gun is supplied with power on a time-division base by two small-sized hard limiters, which constitute the pulse modulator  401  as shown in  FIG. 4A  and output different voltages; 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of the energy spectrum difference between X-rays having two different energy levels, which are generated by the electron linac according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram of a discrimination system, which performs non-destructive inspection on container cargo and implements material discrimination by using the electron linac of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Hereafter an embodiment of the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings. 
     FIG. 1A  shows the electron-emitting characteristic of an electron gun.  FIG. 1B  is a schematic diagram of accelerated electron energy varying with beam load.  FIG. 1C  is a schematic diagram of accelerated electron energy varying with fed microwave power.  FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of the parameter relationship between respective main systems of the accelerator while alternately generating X-rays having different energy levels according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1A , the electron gun has different capabilities of electron emission under different voltage amplitudes. The pulse modulator for driving the electron gun generates high voltages having two different amplitudes, which cause the electron gun to emit electron beams having different current intensities, that is, the obtained electron beams having different beam loads as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
   The beam load effect is represented by the formula E=√{square root over (AP)}−BI, where E is the energy of accelerated electrons, I is the beam intensity of accelerated electrons, P is the microwave power fed into the acceleration section, and A and B are preset constants. According to the beam load effect, different electron beams are accelerated to obtain high-energy electron beams having different energy levels. 
     FIG. 1B  is a schematic diagram showing the beam load effect. As shown in Curve  2  of  FIG. 1B , the higher the intensity of the beam load, the less the energy obtained by accelerating the beam in the acceleration tube. When the intensity of the pulse electron beam is high, that is, the intensity of the beam load is great, a small microwave power is fed into the acceleration tube, thereby obtaining a electron beam of a relatively low energy level. On the contrary, when the intensity of the beam load of the electron beam is small, a large microwave power is fed, thereby obtaining an electron beam having a relatively high energy level. 
     FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of the energy variation in accelerated electrons when simultaneously changing beam load and fed microwave power. As shown in  FIG. 3 , if the fed microwave power is changed in synchronization with the change in the beam load, the energy finally obtained by accelerating the electron beams will further vary, thereby resulting in greater energy difference between the accelerated electron beams having two different beam loads. 
   Thus, if the first and the second electron beams having beam loads  10   a  and  11   a  respectively are accelerated under the completely same condition, two electron beams having different energy levels will be obtained. Meanwhile, the microwave power fed into the acceleration tube is changed to produce the first and the second microwaves having microwave powers  10   b  and  11   b  respectively. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the power of the first microwave is greater than that of the second one. 
   Curve  3  of  FIG. 1C  shows the characteristic of the beam acceleration by the acceleration tube provided with different microwave powers. As can be seen in  FIG. 1C , when the beam load is fixed, the greater the fed microwave power is, the higher the energy obtained by accelerating the beam is. If the system operates in the first mode, i.e. the high-energy mode, the first electron beam having the beam load  10   a  is accelerated with the first microwave having the microwave power  10   b  to obtain a high-energy electron beam having the electron beam energy  10   c . Then the high-energy electron beam is caused to hit a target to generate a high-energy X-ray with its energy being  10   d.    
   If the system operates in the second mode, i.e. the low-energy mode, the second microwave having the power  11   b , whose amplitude is smaller than the power  10   b  of the first microwave, will be fed into the acceleration tube. The second electron beam having the beam load  11   a  is accelerated to obtain a low-energy electron beam of the electron beam energy  11   c . Then the low-energy electron beam is caused to hit the target to generate a low-energy X-ray with its energy being  11   d . In this manner, the system alternately changes between the high-energy mode and the low-energy mode so as to generate X-rays with their energy levels alternately changing. 
     FIG. 4A  is a structural schematic diagram of the electron linac according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 4A , the electron linac  400  of the embodiment is an electron linac alternately generating dual-energy X-rays. The electron linac  400  includes a signal generator  403 , a first and a second pulse modulator  401  and  404  connected to the signal generator  403 , an electron gun  402  connected to the first pulse modulator  401 , a magnetron  405  connected to the second pulse modulator  404 , an acceleration tube  406  connected to the electron gun  402  and the magnetron  405 , and a target  407  on which the rays generated by the acceleration tube  406  hit. 
   The signal generator  403  can generate high-level and low-level signals at a fixed frequency depending on predefined parameters. The first small-sized pulse modulator  401   a  and the second small-sized pulse modulator  4041   b  generate high voltages having different amplitudes, for example, a first high voltage having the first amplitude and a second high voltage having the second amplitude, based on the signals generated by the signal generator  403 . Depending on different systems, the functions of the first small-sized pulse modulator  401   a  and the second small-sized pulse modulator  4041   b  can be fulfilled with a single pulse modulator. As shown in  FIG. 4A , the first pulse modulator  401  outputs the voltage HV 1  or LV 1  having different amplitudes to the electron gun  402 , and the second pulse modulator  401  outputs the voltage HV 2  or LV 2  having different amplitudes to the magnetron  405 , each based on a synchronization signal. Here, in the case of a grid-controlled electron gun, the first small-sized pulse modulator  401   a  and the second small-sized pulse modulator  4041   b  can supply power for the electron gun using a grid-controlled gun power supply with the grid pulse amplitude alternating, or in the case of the electron gun  402  being a bipolar electron gun, power is supplied on a time-division base by two small-sized hard tube pulse modulators (hard limiters) outputting different voltages. The pulse intervals of the pulses generated by the first and the second pulse modulators can be either the same or different from each other. 
     FIG. 4B  is a schematic diagram showing a bipolar electron gun is supplied with power on a time-division base by two small-sized hard tube pulse modulators (hard limiters), which constitute the pulse modulator  401  as shown in  FIG. 4A  and output different voltages. As shown in  FIG. 4B , the outputs of the high-voltage power supplies  1  and  2  are connected to the driving circuit of the electron gun, which is connected to a pulse synchronization and switch control circuit. Based on the external synchronization signals  1  and  2 , the pulse synchronization and switch control circuit controls the module  401   a  and the module  401   b  to output a high voltage HV 1  and a relatively low voltage LV 1 , respectively. Given different voltage amplitudes, the electron gun  402  emits electron beams with the beam load being  10   a  or  11   a . The second pulse modulator  404 , which provides voltage for the magnetron, is similar to the first pulse modulator  401  and includes two modules (not shown) from which voltages HV 2  and LV 2  having different amplitudes are obtained respectively. That is, the high-voltage power supplies  1  and  2  have their outputs connected to the pulse synchronization and switch control circuit to be controlled to supply power for the magnetron on a time-division base. 
   The voltages HV 2  and LV 2  having high and low amplitudes outputted alternately from the second pulse modulator  404  cause the operating current of the magnetron  405  alternating so as to obtain microwaves having different powers alternately, such as the first microwave having the amplitude  10   b  and the second microwave having the amplitude  11   b . In addition, as another embodiment, the magnetron  405  can be controlled such that its magnetic field intensity alternates between high and low in synchronization with its operating current pulse, in order to obtain microwaves having different powers. 
   Accordingly, microwaves having different powers can be fed in by two methods as follow. 
   1. The pulse modulator generates pulses having high and low voltage amplitudes and outputs them to the magnetron alternately so as to cause the operating current of the magnetron to alternate between high and low; 
   2. The magnetic field intensity of the magnetron alternates between high and low in synchronization with its operating current pulses. 
   By using both or either of the above methods, the alternation of the pulse power can be realized for the microwave outputted by the magnetron. 
   Based on the synchronization signal, the magnetron  405  feeds microwaves having different powers, such as the first or the second microwaves having microwave powers  10   b  or  11   b , into the acceleration tube  406  by example of traveling wave or standing wave acceleration tube for accelerating the first or the second electron beam having the beam load  10   a  or  11   a . As the synchronized acceleration approach in  FIG. 2 , the first or the second electron beam is accelerated inside the acceleration tube  406  to obtain accelerated electron beams having different energy levels, for example, the first and the second accelerated electron beams having energy  10   c  and  11   c  respectively. Then, the accelerated electron beams having different energy levels are used to alternately hit the efficient target  407  to generate X-ray beams having alternated high and low energy levels, such as the first and the second X-ray beams having energy  10   d  and  11   d . 
   As a result, the accelerated electron beams having different energy levels can be obtained by changing the beam load intensity of the accelerator. Meanwhile, the energy level difference between two accelerated electron beams can be further widened by synchronously changing the microwave power fed into the acceleration tube. The X-rays, which result from the targeting by the two electron beams having different energy levels, have a large difference between energy levels. There is a great distinction between the energy spectra of the two X-ray beams.  FIG. 5  shows X-ray energy spectra when the X-rays having high energy of 9 MeV and low energy of 6 MeV are outputted from the dual-energy accelerator implemented according to the present invention. Curve  51  shows the energy spectrum for low energy of 6 MeV, and Curve  52  shows the energy spectrum for high energy of 9 MeV. It can be seen in  FIG. 5  that the energy levels of the two continuous spectra differ greatly from each other. 
     FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram of an inspection system, which performs non-destructive inspection on container cargo and implements material discrimination by using the electron linac of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the synchronization control part  605  is connected to the accelerator  400  and the detector  603  and provides them with high- and low-level signals  600  generated based on the preset parameters. Based on the synchronization signal, the accelerator  400  alternately generates X-ray beams  606  having high and low energy levels, which results in fan-shaped X-ray beams after passing through the collimator  601 . 
   Next, the fan-shaped X-ray beams having high and low energy levels interact with the inspected object almost at the same position and then collected by the detector  603 , which is connected to the image processing and material discrimination system  604  and outputs to them the digital signals. Here, the inspected object moves at certain speed in the direction shown in  FIG. 6  so as to ensure the difference between the positions, at which the X-ray beams having high and low energy levels interact with the inspected object respectively, is allowable, that is, they interact at almost the same position. Therefore, the image processing and material discrimination system  604  can obtain the detection signal values D 1  and D 2  for high and low energy levels after the interaction with the inspected object  602  at the same position. 
   Then, based on the calibration curve relationship ln(D 1 /D 1   0 )−ln (D 2 /D 2   0 )=f(D 1 ) (where D 1   0  and D 2   0  are the zero load values of the high- and low-energy X-ray beams, respectively) obtained by scanning the substance of known material property, the digital signals, which are collected after the interaction between the inspected object and the dual-energy X-ray beams, are classified so as to finally determine the material property of the inspected object, such as organic matter, light metal, inorganic matter, heavy metal, etc. 
   The above-mentioned is only the specific embodiments of the present invention, while the scope of the present invention is not limited to it. Any modification or substitution, which is obvious to the skilled in the art within the technical range disclosed in the present invention, should be included in the scope of the present invention, which is thus defined by the claims.