In-situ device for ultrasonic loading in small-angle neutron scattering experiments

Abstract

An embodiment of the present application provides an in-situ device for ultrasonic loading in a small-angle neutron scattering experiment, comprising a host computer; a waveform generator connected to the host computer; a radio frequency power amplifier connected to the waveform generator; a sample cell; the sample cell comprises: a shell having a through hole formed on the shell, and a sample cavity formed in the shell, the sample cavity being connected to the through hole; an incident window and an exit window, the incident window and the exit window being arranged in the through hole and relatively arranged on both sides of the sample cavity, the neutron beam can enter the sample cavity through the incident window, and the neutron beam after passing through the sample can leave the sample cavity through the exit window; an ultrasonic transducer arranged in the through hole, the ultrasonic transducer being connected to the radio frequency power amplifier to load ultrasonic waves onto the sample in the sample cavity; an ultrasonic sensor arranged in the through hole, the ultrasonic sensor being used to receive ultrasonic waves reflected by the sample; and an oscilloscope connected to the ultrasonic sensor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of neutron scattering, and in particular to an in-situ device for ultrasonic loading in small-angle neutron scattering experiments, and can also be used in neutron photography experiments. Background Art

[0002] Small-angle neutron scattering is an experimental technique that uses elastic neutron scattering at low scattering angles to study the internal mesoscopic structure and morphology of materials. By applying ultrasound to the experimental sample, a series of mechanical, thermal, electromagnetic and chemical ultrasonic effects of the material under ultrasound induction can be observed in situ, and then the mesoscopic structure and morphology of the material under mechanical effects, cavitation effects, thermal effects and chemical effects can be characterized by in situ small-angle neutron scattering. Summary of the invention

[0003] In order to solve at least one of the above or other technical problems, an embodiment of the present application provides an in-situ loading device for ultrasonic waves in a small-angle neutron scattering experiment.

[0004] An embodiment of the present application provides an in-situ device for ultrasonic loading in a small-angle neutron scattering experiment, comprising a host computer; a waveform generator connected to the host computer; a radio frequency power amplifier connected to the waveform generator; a sample cell; the sample cell comprises: a shell having a through hole formed on the shell, and a sample cavity formed in the shell, the sample cavity being connected to the through hole; an incident window and an exit window, the incident window and the exit window being arranged in the through hole and relatively arranged on both sides of the sample cavity, the neutron beam can enter the sample cavity through the incident window, and the neutron beam after passing through the sample can leave the sample cavity through the exit window; an ultrasonic transducer arranged in the through hole, the ultrasonic transducer being connected to the radio frequency power amplifier to load ultrasonic waves onto the sample in the sample cavity; an ultrasonic sensor arranged in the through hole, the ultrasonic sensor being used to receive ultrasonic waves reflected by the sample; and an oscilloscope connected to the ultrasonic sensor.

[0005] The in-situ device for ultrasonic loading in small-angle neutron scattering experiments provided in the embodiments of the present application can load ultrasonic waves into a sample during the small-angle neutron scattering experiment, thereby being able to observe the structural changes of the sample under the action of ultrasonic waves. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present application will become more apparent through the following description of the embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0007] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of an in-situ device for ultrasonic loading in small-angle neutron scattering experiments;

[0008] Figure 2 is a top view of a sample pool according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0009] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 AA cross-section of the sample cell shown;

[0010] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the shell structure of the sample cell shown;

[0011] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of an ultrasonic transducer according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0012] Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a first sliding block in an embodiment of the present application;

[0013] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A side view of the first slider shown;

[0014] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 AA cross-sectional view of the first slider is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Below, embodiments of the present application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application. In the following detailed description, for ease of explanation, many specific details are set forth to provide a comprehensive understanding of the embodiments of the present application. However, it is apparent that one or more embodiments may also be implemented without these specific details. In addition, in the following description, descriptions of known structures and technologies are omitted to avoid unnecessary confusion of the concepts of the present application.

[0016] The terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application. The terms "include", "comprising", etc. used herein indicate the existence of the features, steps, operations and / or components, but do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations or components.

[0017] All terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art, unless otherwise defined. It should be noted that the terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the context of this specification, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly rigid manner.

[0018] Small-angle scattering experiment is an experimental method that uses the scattering of the probe beam after passing through the sample to study the internal mesoscopic structure and morphology of the sample. Taking small-angle neutron scattering as an example, small-angle neutron scattering refers to the scattering of neutrons near the direct neutron beam in real space after neutrons are incident on the sample. If there is an inhomogeneous structure with a scale larger than the atomic spacing in the sample, that is, there is a neutron scattering length density difference, then a corresponding signal contrast will appear on the detector. In the small-angle neutron scattering experiment, the internal mesoscopic structure and morphology of the material can be obtained by using the phenomenon of elastic neutron scattering at low scattering angles and the coherent elastic interaction between the neutron beam and the sample.

[0019] When ultrasound propagates in a medium (material), the interaction between ultrasound and the medium causes physical and chemical changes in the medium, thereby causing a series of ultrasonic effects in the material, such as a series of mechanical, thermal, electromagnetic and chemical ultrasonic effects.

[0020] In order to better detect the changes in materials under these ultrasonic effects, it is necessary to continuously detect the changes in the structure and morphology of the material at the mesoscopic scale (that is, the scale is between nanometers and millimeters, between the microscopic and macroscopic). Therefore, a device is needed that can apply ultrasonic waves to the material while continuously observing the material, so as to obtain the continuous changes of the material under ultrasonic loading.

[0021] The in-situ device for ultrasonic loading in small-angle neutron scattering experiments provided in the embodiments of the present application is to realize the small-angle neutron scattering experiment in a sample environment loaded with ultrasound, so as to observe a series of changes occurring in the sample in the ultrasonic environment.

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an in-situ device for ultrasonic loading in a small-angle neutron scattering experiment provided in an embodiment of the present application, with reference to Figure 1 The in-situ device includes: a sample pool 1, a host computer 2, a waveform generator 3, a radio frequency power amplifier 4, and an oscilloscope 5.

[0023] The host computer 2 refers to a computer that directly issues control commands. The waveform generator 3 is connected to the host computer 2, and it can issue a waveform signal under the command of the host computer 2. The RF power amplifier 4 is connected to the waveform generator 3. The RF power amplifier is the main part of the transmission system. In the front-stage circuit of the transmitter, the RF signal power generated by the modulation oscillation circuit is very small, and it needs to go through a series of amplifiers such as a buffer amplifier stage, an intermediate amplifier stage, and a final power amplifier stage. After the modulator generates the RF signal, the RF power amplifier amplifies it to sufficient power.

[0024] Figure 2 is a top view of a sample pool according to an embodiment of the present application, Figure 3 yes Figure 2 The sample pool shown is Figure 4 yes Figure 2 The shell structure diagram of the sample pool is shown in FIG. Figure 2-Figure 4 The sample cell 1 provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a shell 11, an incident window 12, an exit window 13, an ultrasonic transducer 14, and an ultrasonic sensor 15.

[0025] The shell 11 is provided with a through hole 111 and a sample cavity 112 connected to the through hole 111. As an example, the sample cavity 112 can be set at the exact center of the shell 11. The specific shape of the sample cavity 112 can be determined by a person skilled in the art according to the specific form of the sample to be tested, and no specific limitation is imposed on this. As an example, if the sample cavity 112 is a rectangular parallelepiped, the optimal length is 1mm≤L≤20mm, the optimal height is 5mm≤H≤50mm, and the optimal width is 5mm≤W≤50mm; if the sample cavity 112 is a cylinder, the optimal length is 1mm≤L≤20mm, and the optimal diameter is 5mm≤D≤50mm.

[0026] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , in some embodiments, the sample cavity 112 may be formed with an opening on the housing 11 to facilitate placing the sample into the sample cavity or taking the sample out of the sample cavity 112 .

[0027] The incident window 12 and the exit window 13 are arranged in the through hole 111 and are respectively arranged on both sides of the sample cavity 112. In the actual experiment process, the neutron beam can enter the sample cavity 112 through the incident window 12, and the neutron beam after passing through the sample can leave the sample cavity 112 through the exit window 13. The neutron beam can also be other substances that can be used for scattering related experiments, such as X-ray beams.

[0028] The specific positions and structures of the incident window 12 and the exit window 13 can be determined by those skilled in the art according to the relevant requirements of the specific neutron beam used and the specific form of the sample. For example, when conducting a small-angle neutron scattering experiment, the incident window 12 and the exit window 13 need to be made of aluminum, vanadium, aluminum alloy or vanadium alloy material, and the optimal thickness is 0.5 mm to 20 mm.

[0029] The diameter of the through hole 111 can be adapted to the diameters of the incident window 12 and the exit window 13. Furthermore, the ratio of the total length of the through hole 111 to the aperture can be determined according to specific experimental requirements. For example, when conducting a small-angle neutron scattering experiment, the ratio of the total length of the through hole 111 to the aperture is not less than 0.176.

[0030] The ultrasonic transducer 14 is disposed in the through hole 111, and is connected to the RF power amplifier 4, and can convert the electrical signal emitted by the RF power amplifier 4 into acoustic energy, thereby loading ultrasonic waves onto the sample in the sample cavity 112. The ultrasonic transducer 14 can be a structure such as a piezoelectric ceramic sheet, which converts electrical signals into mechanical vibrations based on the piezoelectric effect of the material, thereby emitting ultrasonic waves.

[0031] The ultrasonic sensor 15 is also disposed in the through hole 111 , and the ultrasonic sensor 15 is capable of receiving ultrasonic waves reflected by the sample.

[0032] The oscilloscope 5 is connected to the ultrasonic sensor 15, and can display the waveform of the ultrasonic wave reflected by the ultrasonic sensor 15. The ultrasonic sensor 15 and the oscilloscope 5 can verify the effectiveness of the ultrasonic transducer 14, and can also cooperate with the small-angle neutron scattering experiment to observe the structural changes of the sample in many aspects.

[0033] The device provided according to the above embodiment of the present invention can realize ultrasonic loading of the sample while conducting a small-angle scattering experiment, thereby being able to observe the continuous microscopic changes of the sample under ultrasonic loading.

[0034] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a transducer in an embodiment is shown. In some embodiments, referring to Figure 3 and Figure 5 The ultrasonic transducer 14 can be arranged in a ring shape and arranged outside the incident window 12. In this embodiment, since the ultrasonic transducer 14 is arranged in a ring shape, it will not block the incident window 12, thereby avoiding interference with the incident neutron beam. On the other hand, the ring-shaped ultrasonic transducer 14 in this embodiment can load ultrasonic waves onto the sample more evenly. At the same time, the neutron beam actually passes through the center of the transducer 14, which can ensure that the position where the ultrasonic wave is loaded is substantially the same as the position where the neutron beam is incident, thereby achieving a better detection effect.

[0035] In some embodiments, reference may still be made to Figure 5 , the ultrasonic sensor 15 can be arranged on the ultrasonic transducer 14 .

[0036] As an example, an opening may be formed on the ultrasonic transducer 14, and the ultrasonic sensor 15 may be disposed in the opening on the ultrasonic transducer 14. One or more ultrasonic sensors 15 may be disposed. When multiple ultrasonic sensors 15 are disposed, these ultrasonic sensors 15 may be disposed in a ring shape with equal intervals.

[0037] In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer 14 may also be disposed outside the ultrasonic exit window 13, or the ultrasonic transducer 14 may be disposed outside both the incident window 12 and the exit window 13 to meet more diverse ultrasonic loading requirements. In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer 14 may also be disposed in other directions of the sample cavity 112, without limitation.

[0038] In some embodiments, the distance between the incident window 12 and the sample chamber 112 is adjustable. Thus, the need for conducting experiments on samples of different specifications can be better met. In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer 14 can move with the incident window 12, so that the distance between the ultrasonic transducer 14 and the sample chamber 112 can also be adjusted.

[0039] In some embodiments, reference Figure 4 The sample pool also includes a first slider 16, which is slidably disposed in the through hole 111, and the incident window 12 can be disposed on the first slider 16, so that the distance between the incident window 12 and the sample chamber 112 can be adjusted by sliding the first slider 16 in the through hole 111.

[0040] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of a first sliding block of an embodiment. Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A side view of the first slider is shown. Figure 8 yes Figure 7 AA cross-section of the second slider is shown.

[0041] See also Figures 6 to 8 In some embodiments, the first slider 16 may be configured to be cylindrical and to form a neutron beam channel 161. The incident window 12 is disposed at one end of the first slider 16 close to the sample cavity 112, so that the neutron beam can reach the incident window 12 through the neutron beam channel 161 and enter the sample cavity 112 through the incident window 12. The first slider 16 may be configured to be cylindrical so as to support the incident window 12 well and prevent the incident window 12 from tilting during movement.

[0042] In some embodiments, reference Figure 3 The first slider 16 can be threadedly connected to the through hole 111, and the first slider 16 can extend to the outside of the housing 11. In actual use, the operator can hold the part of the first slider 16 extending to the outside of the housing 11 and rotate it, so that the first slider 16 slides in the through hole 111, and the distance between the incident window 12 and the sample chamber 112 is adjusted.

[0043] In some embodiments, a handle may be provided at one end of the first sliding block 16 extending to the outside of the housing 11 , so that an operator can hold the first sliding block 16 and rotate it.

[0044] In some other embodiments, the first sliding block 16 may also be slidably connected to the through hole 111 in other ways.

[0045] In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transducer 14 may also be disposed on the first slider 16 , so that the distance between the ultrasonic transducer 14 and the sample chamber 112 can be adjusted at the same time.

[0046] In some embodiments, a groove 162 may be provided on a side of the first slider 16 close to the sample chamber 112 , and the ultrasonic transducer 14 is installed in the groove 162 .

[0047] In some embodiments, a limiting block 163 for fixing the ultrasonic transducer 14 is disposed in the groove 162 , thereby positioning the ultrasonic transducer 14 .

[0048] In some embodiments, epoxy resin may be injected into the groove 162 to achieve packaging of the ultrasonic transducer 14 .

[0049] In some embodiments, a threading hole 164 is provided in the groove 162. This facilitates the connection between the ultrasonic transducer 14 and the RF power amplifier 4, and allows for standardized routing to prevent the connection line of the ultrasonic transducer 14 from interfering with the experiment. In some embodiments, as described above, the ultrasonic transducer 14 may be provided with an ultrasonic sensor 15, and these ultrasonic sensors 15 may also be routed with the help of the threading hole 164.

[0050] In some embodiments, the first slider 16 may be covered with a shielding material that absorbs neutrons. The shielding material is preferably boron, cadmium, or a compound or composite thereof. By covering the first adjustment block 124 and the first slider 16 with the shielding material, stray neutrons can be absorbed and noise can be reduced, which can effectively improve accuracy.

[0051] In some embodiments, the exit window 13 may also be configured to have an adjustable distance from the sample chamber 112. Figure 3 The sample pool 1 may further include a second slider 17, and the exit window 13 may be disposed on the second slider 17. The second slider 17 may be disposed in the same manner as the first slider 16, and will not be described in detail herein.

[0052] So far, the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the implementation methods not shown or described in the drawings or the body of the specification are all forms known to ordinary technicians in the relevant technical field and are not described in detail. In addition, the above definitions of each component are not limited to the various specific structures, shapes or methods mentioned in the embodiments, and ordinary technicians in the field can simply change or replace them.

[0053] It should also be noted that, in the specific embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise indicated, the numerical parameters in the present specification and the appended claims are approximate values ​​and can be changed according to the desired characteristics obtained through the content of the present disclosure. Specifically, all numbers used in the specification and claims to express the size, range conditions, etc. of the composition should be understood to be modified by the term "about" in all cases. In general, the meaning of the expression refers to the change of ±10% in some embodiments, ±5% in some embodiments, ±1% in some embodiments, and ±0.5% in some embodiments by a specific number.

[0054] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the features described in the various embodiments and / or claims of the present application may be combined in a variety of ways and / or combinations, even if such combinations or combinations are not explicitly described in the present application. In particular, without departing from the spirit and teachings of the present application, the features described in the various embodiments and / or claims of the present application may be combined in a variety of ways and / or combinations. All of these combinations and / or combinations fall within the scope of the present application.

[0055] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present application. It should be understood that the above description is only a specific embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. An in-situ device for ultrasonic loading in small-angle neutron scattering experiments, comprising: Host computer; A waveform generator connected to the host computer; A radio frequency power amplifier connected to the waveform generator; Sample pool; The sample pool comprises: A housing, wherein a through hole is formed on the housing, and a sample cavity is formed inside the housing, and the sample cavity is communicated with the through hole; An incident window and an exit window, wherein the incident window and the exit window are arranged in the through hole and are relatively arranged on two sides of the sample cavity, and the neutron beam can enter the sample cavity through the incident window, and the neutron beam after passing through the sample can leave the sample cavity through the exit window; an ultrasonic transducer, disposed in the through hole, the ultrasonic transducer being connected to the radio frequency power amplifier to load ultrasonic waves to the sample in the sample cavity; an ultrasonic sensor, disposed in the through hole, and configured to receive ultrasonic waves reflected by the sample; and an oscilloscope, connected to the ultrasonic sensor; The distance between the incident window and the sample chamber is adjustable; The device also includes: A first slider, wherein the first slider is slidably disposed in the through hole, and the incident window is disposed on the first slider; The transducer is disposed on the first slider.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The transducer is annular in shape, and is arranged outside the incident window.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The first slider is cylindrical and is formed with a neutron beam channel. The incident window is arranged at one end of the first slider close to the sample cavity. The neutron beam can reach the incident window via the neutron beam channel.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein: The first sliding block is threadably connected to the through hole, and the first sliding block extends to the outside of the housing.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: A second slider is slidably connected to the housing, and the exit window is arranged on the second slider.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The ultrasonic sensor is arranged on the ultrasonic transducer.

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