A study on industrial density gauge based on simultaneous usage of neutrons and gamma-rays

This paper describes the possibility of an industrial density gauge to meet the requirement for more precise and stable blast furnace operation. A basic concept of the gauge is to measure some quantities with the simultaneous use of multi-radiations of neutrons and gamma-rays, and to obtain multi-types of information on material flow and gas flow concerned with the conditions inside the blast furnace. Laboratory experiments using a prototype gauge showed that the gauge could measure the quantities to be essential to estimate the blast furnace conditions. In practice, it distinguished between iron ore and coke layers, and at the same time measured bulk density of iron contained in iron ore by counting thermal neutron capture gamma-rays from iron. It also gave the information on material bulk density by detecting Compton scattered gamma-rays from material, i.e. iron ore and coke. (author)