A Liquid-Desiccant Heating/Cooling System Powered by Solar Energy

65573 The use of neutrons for materials characterization is growing. As more powerful neutron sources become available, corresponding advances in neutron detectors will be required. However, advances in neutron detectors have come slowly, compared to other types of detectors (x-rays, charged particles), because of weaknesses in the detecting gas medium. This project will develop pyrolitic boron nitride as a neutron sensitive semiconductor material, which would allow the resulting neutron detector to provide many of the versatile qualities that silicon, germanium, and cadmium zinc telluride offer to other types of detectors. In Phase I, devices will be fabricated with the new material, and electrical and radiation testing will be undertaken to evaluate electrical properties needed for successful operation. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee : The proposed neutron detectors would be far smaller than the large detectors currently used and should find use in reactor facilities, geophysical gauging and mapping, and radiation health science.