| RADIATION MONITORING & ALARA
maps of several areas inside using Lidar technology. As it flew to various locations, the radiation detectors collected readings every three seconds, displaying the results on the 3D maps. A video camera simulated the inspection of various components. Electric heated blankets were wrapped around pipes, and the drone’s infrared camera detected the elevated temperatures. To test the drone’s ability to avoid obstacles, a worker walked in its path and was immediately detected by the drone, which safely flew around him. The Peach Bottom demonstration was part of EPRI’s Next
Generation Radiation Protection (NextGen RP) initiative, which is examining various ways to streamline radiation protection and reduce worker radiation exposure. EPRI is also researching further uses of autonomous technology in the nuclear industry including: smaller drones to allow access into tighter areas of the plant, surface vehicles for the collecting of smears for contamination surveys and outdoor drones to support a plants’ emergency plan. Other technology companies are also developing
radiation sensors which can be used with drones. Mirion Technologies has developed the SPIR-Explorer sensor — a lightweight radiation detector designed to be mounted on a UAV/Drone or UGV/Robot for a wide range of applications where radiation detection, measurement, and nuclide identification is needed. This includes environmental surveys, military reconnaissance, radiological dispersal or exposure device detection and emergency response.
The package includes SpirMOBILE software for
visualisation and mapping of the dose rates, nuclide identification, and count rate for each nuclide. At the end of 2021, US Nuclear became the first drone
vendor to join the RAD-Responder Network, to report realtime drone data to US Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Air Force. US Nuclear partnered with the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Radiation Emergency Preparedness Team to conduct a multi-agency flight training showcasing its ability to fully integrate its radiation payload data by connecting directly to the RadResponder Network. The training exercise involved a DroneRad system flying a perimeter around crashed vehicles to measure, map, and report the fallout from a radiological hazard. DroneRad flew an automatic search pattern, with colour-coded mapping software able to exactly pinpoint the hazard. US Nuclear’s drone systems feature a seven-hour flight time and range of up to 10 miles depending on local regulations. Curtiss-Wright Corporation announced an agreement
with Teledyne FLIR Defense to supply unmanned systems and integrated solutions to the US nuclear power market and DOE. Mobile unmanned systems play a critical role by automating operations and eliminating the need for humans to perform tasks in hazardous conditions, it said. ■
It’s arrived.
The new Hyperion™ Compact enhanced, solid state high radiation tolerant camera.
The new Hyperion Compact high radiation tolerant digital cameras extends on our years of research and development into digital radiation tolerant electronics combined with our unique Mirion color processing algorithms to provide an unsurpassed user experience for high radiation tolerant imaging. Available in both monochrome and full color; independently tested to 1 MGy with a Cobalt-60 source.
Learn more about the Hyperion Compact Gen II Camera
Contact us:
uksales@mirion.com
www.mirion.com
Copyright © 2022 Mirion Technologies, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Mirion, the Mirion logo and other trade names of Mirion products listed herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of Mirion Technologies, Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Third party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
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