Introduction to Radiation Detection

Instruments
for Nuclear Security

15 17 November 2015
Johor Bharu, Johor
 Introduction
Radiation cannot be seen, smelled or sensed but can be
measured. Radiation detectors are essential for finding
radioactive material
Each radionuclide emits specific radiation (alpha, beta,
gamma, neutron) with different energies
The detection systems have to be designed to detect,
localize and identify radionuclides
Situations at borders and in the country are quite different
from nuclear facilities and scientific laboratories, thereby the
instruments must be adapted to meet these different needs
and conditions
 Laboratory vs. Duty Station
Laboratory FLO duty station
End user Scientific workers Front Line Officers
Environment Controlled, room temp. In- and Outdoors
Measurement time Long Short
Repeat check Possible Sometimes not possible
Handling Instruments located on Portable, single handed
laboratory table instruments
Primary design Units connected by cables All in one instruments, no cables,
water proof, rugged design

Special functions No search function location of Designed to localize sources

source is known High frequency of false alarms
unacceptable
Need of specific requirements on the instruments
Important Characteristics of Equipment

Easy to use (easy interface)

Minimal requirements for operation training
High sensitivity to gamma, high energetic beta and
neutron radiation by using very efficient detectors
Reliability
Work in wide temperature and humidity range
Resistance to electromagnetic interferences (EMI),
mechanical shocks and vibrations
Reduced need for maintenance and sustainability
 Categories of Instruments
Fixed Installed Instruments
Radiation Portal Monitor (RPM): highly sensitive instrument
to detect gamma radiation and neutrons
Portable Handheld Instruments
Personal Radiation Detector (PRD): small (size of large
mobile phone) instrument for detection and localisation of
radiation
Radionuclide Identification Device (RID): instrument
designed to detect gamma radiation and neutrons, localise
gamma sources, provide dose rate indication and
characterise the source through identification
Neutron Search Detector (NSD): highly sensitive instrument
to detect and localise neutron sources
 Radiation Portal Monitors
(RPMs)
Designed to detect the presence of radioactive
material being carried by pedestrians or
transported in vehicles.
Differentiation in:
Pedestrian monitors and Vehicle monitors
RPM Principle of Operation

Constantly measuring gamma and neutron

background. Based on the average
background, the gamma and neutron
alarm levels are calculated and set.
Passing person or vehicle triggers an
occupancy sensor which sends signal to
controller.
An alarm occurs if:
the detector is occupied and
the actual radiation level is significantly higher
than the background.
radiation level > alarm level >> background
 RPM Components
Alarm: sound and
Gamma light
detector: plastic
scintillator
Control and Neutron detector:
communication He-3 tubes in
unit (internal or moderator
external) Occupancy
sensors
Optional: video Battery - UPS
monitoring, PC,
light
Remote link to
local alarm
station
 RPM Example with Video and PC

Location and status of

all monitors (site map)
Video
Profile displays:
Separate neutron
and gamma display
including count rate
Shaded gray
occupation
Red alarm
Cursor
Alarm list logbook
Report
Placement of Pedestrian Monitors

Detection area configuration:

Vertical: up to 2 m high
Horizontal: 1 1.5 m wide for single pillar
and max 3 m wide for double pillar system
Installed at:
Places where the person flux is very high
(Airport borders)
Places where people enter or leave a
controlled zone

Luggage monitor next

to X-ray machine
Placement of Vehicle Monitors

Detection area configuration:

Vertical: 2 m for cars and 4 m for trucks and trains
Horizontal: max. 3 m for single pillar and max. 6 m for
double pillar systems

Installed at:
Border crossing points,
harbours, airports (cargo)
Entrances and exits to
nuclear facilities
Private companies: entrances
to scrap yards, steel mills
Example of Railway Monitor
Scrap Monitoring
 Pengalaman Malaysia

Pemasangan RPM di bawah :

Inisiatif Malaysia

Megaport Initiative

o Inisiatif AELB-IAEA/EU
 Malaysias Initiative

15

Tuesday, November 7,
2017
 Malaysias Initiative

16

Tuesday, November 7,
2017
 Megaports Initiative

Tuesday, November 7, 1
2017
7
MEGAPORTS INITIATIVE
 IAEA/EU ASSISTANT

19

Tuesday, November 7,
2017
 IAEA/EU ASSISTANT

20

Tuesday, November 7,
2017
 Personal Radiation Detectors
(PRDs)
Designed to automatically detect the presence of
gamma radiation
Provides radiation levels indication (counts per
seconds and dose rate)
Provides alarms if background level exceeds alarm
threshold
Can be used as a search tool for locating radiation
sources
Relatively inexpensive, not requiring extensive
training
Personal Radiation Detectors (PRDs)

Examples of Gamma and Gamma/Neutron pagers

PRD Components

High efficiency scintillation detector

Alarm indicators (sound, light, vibration)

Display:

Radiation level in units of counts per

second and/or dose rate
Safety alarm
Menu to select primary functions, such as
alarm indicators
Buttons to acknowledge alarms and select menu choices
Essential IAEA Requirements for
PRDs:
Simple to operate
Limited size and weight
Rugged construction, weather resistant
Battery operated, continuous operation for at least 400
hours
Search alarm based on count rate
Safety alarm at high dose rate
Display switchable from cps to dose rate
Dose rate error < 50%
Temperature range between: -20 and +50 C
Three alarm indications (light, sound and vibration)
Radionuclide Identification Devices (RIDs)

Used as a search-tool for locating gamma radiation sources and indicating the
presence of neutrons
Provides dose-rate estimation
Provides isotope identification and
Allows categorization (medical, industrial, nuclear, NORM) of the identified
isotope which may lead to a different response
Examples of RIDs

identiFINDER-Ultra

-03

GR-135
 RID Components

Gamma and neutron detectors

Gamma spectrometer
Microprocessor, memory for data, software
Alarm indicators (sound, light, vibration)
Large display screen
PC interface
Optional: external alpha/beta monitor
Essential IAEA requirements for RIDs:
Simultaneous gamma and neutron detection,
GM counter for high dose rate range
Automatic easy mode, includes dose rate,
search and identification capability
Password protected manual advanced mode
Single handed operation (even with gloves)
Less than 3 kg in weight
> 8 hours battery life
Rugged design
Temperature range between: -20 and +50 C
Computer link and PC support software
Neutron Search Detectors (NSDs)

In case of a neutron alarm the RIDs are sometimes

not efficient enough to localize the neutron
emitting source. Therefore, a highly sensitive
Neutron Search Detector (NSD) is necessary.
NSDs provides:
High sensitivity to neutrons
Dose rate indication for gamma radiation and neutrons
Big display with a graphical signal intensity indication
Single handed operation
Alarm indicators (sound, light and vibration)
PC link, internal memory
Example of a NSD
Factors Influencing Detection

Radioactive material (activity, emitting energy)

Distance to the source
Shielding by source holder and/or structural
elements of a vehicle (engine block, battery,
freight container)
Speed: time-exposure for the detector:
Speed of person or vehicle passing detector
(8 km/h limitation)
Speed of handheld detector in search mode (about 0.5 m/s)

Masking situations
Summary

Detect Detect Localize Localize Identify

gamma neutrons gamma neutron gamma
radiation source source source

RPM

PRD
RID
NSD

possible limited very limited