Unmanned Radiation Monitoring System

Abstract

The absence of online radiation monitoring systems has been observed in the case of Fukushima nuclear accident. As the tsunami destroyed 23 of the 24 status monitoring points, almost no relevant radiation dose measurements data were available. A rapid deployment of a mobile radiological unit that can quickly determine the activity and direction of the radioactive cloud spread on the ground or in the air can prevent unnecessary deaths and related financial losses. Although the design of the current generation of NPPs incorporates features that minimize the risk of large radioactive releases outside the reactor, it is still important to focus on the development of systems that can mitigate the consequences of such events. In situations when the level of radiation does not permit the personal to perform the required measurements, online unmanned radiation monitoring systems may come to the play. For such a purpose the RMS-00x radiation monitoring system could be used, which is a modular system covering the functionality of dose rate measurement, air sampling and radiation map creation without requiring the human personnel to be present at the measurement site. The main purpose of the RMS-00x radiation monitoring system is the rapid deployment of unmanned monitoring devices to reduce the radiation burden on workers and on public. The system can be applied in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant (NPP) or at any location, where source of ionizing radiation could be present. Before this system is used in real conditions, its components must be thoroughly calibrated, based on certified measurement equipment and state-of-art simulation tools. This paper deals with the description of the RMS-00X sensor modules and demonstrates their functionality in combination with UAV. In addition, demonstration of the use of the developed technology was carried out as part of the regular emergency planning and preparedness of EBO NPP on 26th October 2017.

State-of-the-Art Mobile Radiation Detection Systems for Different Scenarios

“…Lüley et al [ 8 ] also proposed a detection system coupled to a multi-rotor for dose rate measurements, air sampling, and radiation mapping. One GM (0.5 kg) and an air sampler module for aerosol collection (<1.5 kg) were used.…”

“…In the same way, to monitor an unintended release of radionuclides, as is the case of a nuclear reactor accident, there are fixed online radiation monitoring systems in the vicinity of the power plant. However, the information gathered by these devices are confined to their location and, in the situation of a natural disaster, like happened in Fukushima, these detectors may fail [ 8 ]. This can lead to a lack of information about the radiation levels and consequently in bad, inaccurate, and delayed decisions.…”

UAV Path Optimization for Precision Agriculture Wireless Sensor Networks

“…Lee et al [6] created an optical system using a laser to guide UAVs in urban environments so that they can land safely in case of failures on GPS signal reception. Cerba et al [7] studied the application of a radiation monitoring system through sensors in nuclear power plants, citing Fukushima in Japan as an example. They adopted the use of UAVs to collect this sensory data at monitoring points.…”