Patent ID: 8594265

Claim:
A method for operating a pulsed neutron generator, comprising: applying a target current to a target within a neutron tube of the pulsed neutron generator by a power supply; detecting leakage current within the pulsed neutron generator by measuring a parameter related to the leakage current, at least a portion of the leakage current representing a current flowing between the target and an electrode upstream of the target; adjusting the target current applied to the target to a value that is proportional to the amount of leakage current present, up to a maximum load current provided by the power supply; measuring a parameter related to a neutron output of the neutron generator; reducing a target voltage of the pulsed neutron generator, based upon the parameter related to the leakage current, to reduce the leakage current, including the portion of the leakage current representing the current flowing between the target and the electrode, to a nonzero value while maintaining the measured parameter related to neutron output of the neutron generator at a substantially constant rate; determining if the target voltage is at a limit value; decreasing the target voltage from the limit value if the measured parameter indicates the neutron output has decreased and the target voltage is at the limit value; and increasing the target voltage if a present value of the measured parameter indicates a decrease in neutron output from a prior value of the measured parameter.