Markus Strobl

Advances in neutron radiography and tomography

Neutron imaging can provide two- or three-dimensional, spatially resolved images of the internal structure of bulk samples that are not accessible by other techniques, making it a unique tool with many potential applications. The method is now well established and is available at neutron sources worldwide. This review will give a survey of the technique of neutron imaging with a special focus on neutron tomography; the basics of the method as well as the technology of instrumentation will be outlined, and the techniques will be illustrated by representative applications. While the first part of the paper focuses on conventional attenuation contrast imaging, the second part reviews and critically assesses recent methodical developments.

Quasi–in situ neutron tomography on polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell stacks

Quasi–in situ neutron tomography is applied to polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell stacks for a cell-by-cell detection of liquid water agglomerates. Water distributions in the corresponding anodic and cathodic flow fields are analyzed separately. The influence of the membrane thickness as well as effects of the electro-osmotic drag and of back-diffusion from the cathode to the anode on the water distribution are investigated. Furthermore, the well-known engineering problem of the anomalous behavior of the outermost cells in long multistacks is addressed. The suitability of neutron tomography to support the development of fuel cells is shown.

Wavelength tunable device for neutron radiography and tomography

A special double monochromator system was tested for a conventional operating tomography setup in order to use a broad wavelength band of monochromatic neutrons for radiography and tomography. Scanning through the wavelength region of Bragg edges, it is possible to make series of radiographs and tomographs at different wavelengths from 2.0 until 6.5A. So no beam hardening influences the measurements and is not to be corrected. With this instrument for cold neutron radiography and tomography, energy selecting quantitative radiography, stress and strain mapping, and phase radiography were performed.

Detection system for microimaging with neutrons

A new high-resolution detector setup for neutron imaging has been developed based on infinity-corrected optics with high light collection, combined with customized mounting hard- ware. The system can easily be installed, handled and fitted to any existing facility, avoiding the necessity of complex optical systems or further improved electronics (CCD). This is the first time optical magnification higher than 1:1 has been used with scintillator-based neutron detectors, as well as the first implementation of infinity corrected optics for neutron imaging, achieving the smallest yet reported effective pixel size of 3.375 mm. A novel transparent crystal scintillator (GGG crystal) has been implemented with neutrons for the first time to overcome limitations of traditional powder scintillators (Li6/ZnS, Gadox). The standardized procedure for resolution mea- surements with the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) is summarized to facilitate comparison between instruments and facilities. Using this new detector setup, a resolution of 14.8 mm with a field of view of 6 mm�6 mm has been achieved while maintaining reasonable count times. These advances open a wide range of new possible research applications and allow the potential for additional future developments.

Characterization of water exchange and two-phase flow in porous gas diffusion materials by hydrogen-deuterium contrast neutron radiography

Liquid water exchange in two-phase flows within hydrophobic porous gas diffusion materials of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells was investigated spatially resolved with H–D contrast neutron radiography. A commonly used one-phase model is sufficient to describe water exchange characteristics at low water production rates. At higher rates, however, a significantly higher exchange velocity is found than predicted by a simple model. A new model for the water transport is derived based on an eruptive mechanism guided by Haines jumps, which is supported by recent experimental findings and leads to a very good agreement with the experiments.

X-ray and neutron imaging – Complementary techniques for materials science and engineering

Abstract Using X-ray and neutron radiography and tomography, images of material and component inhomogeneities and their development with time can be obtained. Due to their non-destructiveness and non-invasive nature both methods give insight into the function of devices and their decay processes. Fundamentals of X-ray and neutron radiography and tomography are briefly outlined, examples for both techniques are given, their complementarities are highlighted and emerging techniques and frontiers are discussed.

General solution for quantitative dark-field contrast imaging with grating interferometers

Grating interferometer based imaging with X-rays and neutrons has proven to hold huge potential for applications in key research fields conveying biology and medicine as well as engineering and magnetism, respectively. The thereby amenable dark-field imaging modality implied the promise to access structural information beyond reach of direct spatial resolution. However, only here a yet missing approach is reported that finally allows exploiting this outstanding potential for non-destructive materials characterizations. It enables to obtain quantitative structural small angle scattering information combined with up to 3-dimensional spatial image resolution even at lab based x-ray or at neutron sources. The implied two orders of magnitude efficiency gain as compared to currently available techniques in this regime paves the way for unprecedented structural investigations of complex sample systems of interest for material science in a vast range of fields.

Refraction as imaging signal for computerized (neutron) tomography

Refraction of thermal neutrons was used as imaging signal for computerized neutron tomography. Using a special instrument, attenuation and refraction could be observed simultaneously, extracted and separated from each other, and two-dimensional (2D) images reconstructed from pure refraction data. Even in the case of no attenuation contrast, perfect 2D images of objects could be reconstructed using the refraction data only.

Neutron Bragg-edge-imaging for strain mapping under in situ tensile loading

Wavelength selective neutron radiography at a cold neutron reactor source was used to measure strain and determine (residual) stresses in a steel sample under plane stress conditions. We present a new technique that uses an energy-resolved neutron imaging system based on a double crystal monochromator and is equipped with a specially developed (in situ) biaxial load frame to perform Bragg edge based transmission imaging. The neutron imaging technique provides a viewing area of 7 cm by 7 cm with a spatial resolution on the order of ∼ 100 μm. The stress-induced shifts of the Bragg edge corresponding to the (110) lattice plane were resolved spatially for a ferritic steel alloy A36 (ASTM international) sample. Furthermore it is demonstrated that results agree with comparative data obtained using neutron diffraction and resistance based strain-gauge rosettes.

Imaging with polarized neutrons

Neutrons have zero net electrical charge and can thus penetrate deeply into matter, but their intrinsic magnetic moment makes them highly sensitive to magnetic fields. These properties have been combined with radiographic (2D) and tomographic (3D) imaging methods to provide a unique technique to probe macroscopic magnetic phenomena both within and around bulk matter. Based on the spin-rotation of a polarized neutron beam as it passes through a magnetic field, this method allows the direct, real-space visualization of magnetic field distributions. It has been used to investigate the Meissner effect in a type I (Pb) and a type II (YBCO) superconductor, flux trapping in a type I (Pb) superconductor, and the electromagnetic field associated with a direct current flowing in a solenoid. The latter results have been compared to predictions calculated using the Biot–Savart law and have been found to agree well.