Analysis of elements concentrations in the coal with two-spectrum-method

Two-spectrum-method (TSM), a new method that is used to analyze the elements concentrations in the coal, is proposed. It enables the fast neutron produced by Am-Be neutron source to be used in the analysis of coal elements concentrations, hence such elements whose thermal neutron reaction cross sections are small (for example, O) can be measured through their fast neutron nonelastic scattering reactions. The mathematical model of two-spectrum-method is created and 12γ spectra form the base vectors of γ spectra of the coal comprising 7 main elements. The Monte-Carlo analog computations are done with the aid of MCNP-4B and the results shows that the concentrations of 7 main elements in the coal can be measured accurately. This method overcomes the shortcoming of ELAN and MCLLS that small thermal neutron reaction cross section elements could not be analyzed; it also avoids the difficulty of PFTNa (Pulsed Fast Thermal Neutron Analysis) that the measuring process is not continuous and the lifetime of the neutron generator is short. This method is feasible to be used in on-line coal elements concentrations analysis