Monte Carlo optimization of an industrial tomography system

Computed tomography (CT) is a very useful non-destructive testing technique in the industrial field, since it permits the detection of small inner defects in a reliable and accurate way. In order to get very good performance, in terms of image contrast and spatial resolution, the configuration of the tomography system has to be optimized carefully. Monte Carlo simulations can be very helpful for choosing different conditions and selecting the best configurations of a CT system. In this paper, we present a preliminary optimization of an industrial CT apparatus, obtained by means of Monte Carlo simulations. The system is composed of an X-ray tube, filtering and collimation devices, and a detector made of a scintillator coupled to a CCD camera. We focus our attention on large aluminum objects, such as motor heads, and investigate the contribution of the scattered radiation. Some options have been simulated, for reducing the scattering photons, thus improving the overall image quality.