| RADIATION MONITORING & ALARA
DIZI sensor works as a scintillation detector capable of detecting, measuring, and identifying radioisotopes. Azur says this should allow operators to identify
radiation leaks faster and will provide a complete measure of intensity and makeup from a distance. The system will be used as part of regular, real-time readings during autonomous drone monitoring of facilities. When radiation levels are detected by other means, the Skeyetech-DIZI combination can be deployed to collect full data from the area. “The integration of the DIZI sensor on the Skeyetech solution offers the possibility of carrying out radioactivity readings at any location on a site in complete safety,” said Azur Drones CEO Nicolas Billecocq. Azur said the service has already been used by an unspecified player in France’s nuclear power sector.
Switzerland’s Flyability In August 2021 Switzerland’s Flyability launched Elios 2 RAD, an indoor drone equipped with a radiation sensor made specifically for inspections at nuclear stations. “The Elios 2 RAD represents the first chapter in our efforts to create indoor drones targeted specifically for each of our key verticals, accelerating our mission to use robots instead of people for dangerous indoor inspection jobs,” said Patrick Thévoz, CEO of Flyability. “The Elios 2 RAD has the potential to significantly reduce the need for inspectors to be exposed to harmful radiation or to the hazards of confined space entry for the purposes of conducting routine inspections.” Elios 2 RAD is equipped with an energy Geiger-Muller
detector and can detect radiation while in flight through Flyability’s piloting app. After the inspection flight, nuclear engineers can use Flyability’s Inspector 3.0 software to map the radiation along the flight path of the drone, showing the exact location of dangerous dose levels within a nuclear facility. They can also play back the inspection flight within Inspector 3.0, with dose rate measurements displayed synchronously on top of the video footage. Flyability already has a strong presence at nuclear
facilities around the world, where its Elios 2 has been tested. “Over 80% of US nuclear operators already use Flyability’s indoor drones for their visual inspections,” said Alexandre Meldem, vice president of sales at Flyability. “Now we can expand that support by allowing engineers to collect actionable, high quality dose data.” In 2020, Flyability used its Elios drone at Chernobyl in
Ukraine to collect visual data within Reactor 5 (which was never started up) to confirm that no nuclear fuel rods were present. Flyability says with the Elios 2 RAD, it would be possible to return and record the amount of radiation present throughout the entire site.
Developments in Belgium In Belgium, aeronautical firm Sabca and nuclear research centre SCK CEN have developed a technology that enables drones to be used to carry out radiological measurements without any human intervention. “That will result in a significant step up in terms of radiation protection,” said SCK CEN director general Eric van Walle. “This project is the result of a public-private partnership between SCK CEN and Sabca. The drones will be first used as a preventive measure to study areas for potential radioactive contamination,” said Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden. “We are also preparing for possible remediation”.
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Sabca provides two types of drones – a fixed-wing drone that can fly autonomously for hours and the multicopter, which can carry heavier detectors without sacrificing flexibility. For such work, a scintillation counter is attached to the
drone. Johan Camps, head of SCK CEN’s Crisis Management and Decision Support unit said the major benefit of drones lies in their flexibility. “Drones allow us to chart every last nook and cranny, which is something we cannot achieve using measurements carried out by hand or from a helicopter.” Information is received in real-time from a larger number of specific locations. SCK-CEN and Sabca were awarded €1 million ($1.2 million) in government funding and are investing additional sums into the project.
UK projects UK radiation detection specialist Kromek has joined forces with radiological mapping firm ImiTec to offer a drone- based Autonomous Airborne Radiation Monitoring system (AARM) which provides an accurate, affordable, and versatile low-altitude aerial radiation detection vehicle. AARM is an unmanned aircraft system (drone) weighing
less than 7kg with a payload of less than 1kg, which “represents a low risk of structural damage to buildings and the environment during its operation”. The drone carries several supporting sensors: positioning fixing (Latitude and Longitude) by multi GNSS (GPS and Glonass), number of satellites and height above mean sea level; temperature, humidity and pressure; embedded real-time clock providing time and date fix (GSM and GNSS available as back up); and a laser to determine height above the surface being monitored. The payload bay houses the radiation detector unit. Single and multiple Kromek CsI or CZT micro-gamma spectrometers, including the GR1, D3S and Sigma50, can be connected to one unit and work simultaneously to map radiation from both gamma and neutron emitting sources. The AARM system also includes gamma spectroscopy and mapping software, flight training and set-up. It can be flown by line of sight or on pre-programmed routes. Each survey route is saved as a collection of GPS waypoints, altitudes and velocities that allows the same survey to be conducted repeatedly. Data is transmitted through a secure network to a dedicated base station server for real-time mapping of radioactive contamination or can be stored on an on-board mini-USB memory stick for subsequent downloading, mapping, and analysis. U
Below: Airborne AARM with payload Photo credit: ImiTec
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