Rad Pro Calculator for X-ray Devices

[raymcginnis]

Rad Pro Calculator 2.40 has just been released.  The new version now includes dose-rate and shielding calculations for x-ray devices.  You are given the choice of using empirical data from the British Standard, BS 4094-2:1971 or inputting known tube output data.  For empirical data, you just choose your tube filter, type in ma and kV and then enter a distance, press calculate and a dose-rate pops up.  For known tube output, you type in your output data (dose-rate, distance, kV) and the distance that you want and the dose-rate pops up.  The shielding algorithms are the same ones used in the popular gamma isotope calculator.

There is a new button at the top of the online version, http://www.radprocalculator.com and the new 2.40 desktop download and update options are at: http://www.radprocalculator.com/RadProDownloads.aspx

[Astrokim]

Ray,

I was running some numbers through the x-ray portion and have a question.  When I insert shielding into the calculation it appears that at several points there is a great change in the attenutation effectiveness.  For instance, when I increase energy from 160 to 170 kV my calculated dose rate goes down with no change in shielding.  It does it again from 190 to 200.  In fact if you run it for 200 and compare it to 160 the dose rate is less at 200.  I looked at the NIST tables but did not see a change in the attenuation coefficient which I could tie to this result.


It does not do this when the calculations are run without shielding.

[raymcginnis]

Congratulations.  You found a bug that was missed during testing.  It is a very strange one.  I am guessing it is in the buildup factor subroutines.  Those kind I either find right away or after hours of painful debugging.  It is better if you report bugs through my contact page http://www.radprocalculator.com/Request.aspx.

I always report fixes in this forum as I will report this code error after I mend it.

Thanks for the bug report, though.

[raymcginnis]

I am sad to report that my x-ray code had a medium bug in it.  I am glad to report that I found it and fixed it for us all.  Just let me say this: x-rays are weird!  The bug was weird and difficult to find.  I finally got it nailed though, after research and many slaps on the head saying "duh" to myself,

You may now reap the pleasures of my discovering the new and improved Rad Pro Calculator x-ray code here for desktop: http://www.radprocalculator.com/RadProDownloads.aspx  The online version had the same bug and is also now fixed.

I am calling this fixed version 2.45.  It was not a minor fix, but a medium fix.

More bugs?  Please send them to me here: http://www.radprocalculator.com/Request.aspx

Thanks to NukerWorker.com user Astrokim for the bug find.  The bug report was the best that I have ever received.  It was clear, concise, yet detailed, but not too detailed.