Radiation Area Monitoring in a Nuclear Power Plant

Published On - February 7, 2021

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SAFE AND SECURE WAYS TO REPLACE OBSOLETE INSTRUMENTATION

Today nuclear plants around the world face potential challenges with their obsolete equipment. In many cases, costly spare parts may not be readily available. Or there is lack of qualified support especially when there is an urgent need to take a unit out of service if it fails with no replacement in sight.

According to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, “Nuclear power plants emit minute quantities of radioactive gases and liquids to the environment under controlled and monitored conditions during normal plant operations. Because these radioactive discharges can have environmental impacts — on humans, animals, plants, and sea life, it is imperative to minimize the impact of plant operations. Strong measures ensure that the permitted discharges result in very small doses to members of the public living around nuclear power plants.

Read the full article here: NRC.gov/about-nrc/radiation/protects-you/radiation-monitoring.html

ROBUST RADIATION PROTECTION – THE NEED OF THE HOUR

Developing a radiation protection program is a proven practice for protecting workers from ionizing radiation. A radiation protection program is usually managed by a health physicist or similar qualified experts. They are also referred to as an RSO – a Radiation Safety Officer.

Many organizations also form an RSC – Radiation Safety Committee, which includes the RSO, a management representative, and workers. Together, they work with radiation-producing equipment, radiation sources, or radioactive materials and those  who could be at the risk of exposure on the job.

ALARA – THE FUTURE OF RADIATION MONITORING

Today, the ALARA process is widely accepted as a safe and secure way to monitor radiation discharge. ALARA is an acronym for “As Low As Reasonably Achievable.” As an industry  guiding principle in radiation protection, it is used to eliminate radiation doses that have no direct benefit.

ALARA stipulates that a radiation protection program should include, at a minimum qualified staff like an RSO, health physicist and more. Their mandate is to provide oversight and responsibility for radiation protection policies and procedures.

The underlying priority in the workforce regarding radiation protection programs is to keep the staff’s occupational radiation dose adhering to ALARA – As Low As Reasonably Achievable This program usually involves radiation doses maintained at below the governmental occupational dose limits. This can be reasonably achieved by taking into account the state of technology the current economics and the prevalent social factors.

By making use of all reasonable and tested methods available, ALARA reduces radiation doses and the release of radioactive materials. Today, in industries worldwide, the ALARA methodology is popularly developed for working with specific radiation sources. It is common for ALARA to be deployed in the medical field for diagnostic radiography including, medical X-rays and fluoroscopy in medicine. ALARA is widely used in industrial radiography too.

ARM-1000 FROM SCIWISE – VERSATILE AREA RADIATION METERS.

Even in an advanced nation like Canada, many of the Nuclear Power Plants currently use the obsolete RMS3. In fact this has been going on for the past two decades. Plus, it may not financially feasible to maintain old or aged instrumentation.

This is why SciWise with its technology partner has designed and delivers the ARM-1000. With no direct replacement and parts breaking down, the ARM-1000 is your answer to replace the RMS3 in fit, form and function.

The ARM-1000 is the industry’s most versatile area radiation meter. It provides an option for external detector monitoring in addition to the inside GM-detector for local area monitoring. Due to its configurable external detector voltage settings, the ARM-1000 is universally compatible with existing 3rd party detectors and can operate GMs, scintillators, and proportional counter detector probes.

DYNAMIC AREA RADIATION MONITORING. AND BEYOND.

In addition to be versatile, the ARM-1000 comes with the option of internal GM-detector for local area monitoring- and also an option for external detector monitoring.

ARM-1000 – Some salient features:
  • The ARM-1000 has universal compatibility to existing 3rd party detectors due to its variable external detector voltage settings and is able to drive GMs, scintillators, and proportional counter detector probes.
  • The high-visibility LED display can be configured to show gamma radiation levels, count rate or any other unit of measure.
  • The ARM-1000 can even be integrated with monitoring devices such as pump vibration monitors or continuous air monitors for data collection and display.
  • With an internal battery of 6-8 hours, the ARM-1000 can be deployed in the field and can be monitored remotely via one of three wireless telemetry options: Wifi, 2.4Ghz Radio, or 900 Mhz Radio.
  • The ARM-1000 benefits existing Thermo RMS3 end users too:
  • They fit easily as they bring the same fit, form and function as the obsolete Thermo RMS3.
  • The ARM-1000 also accepts dual channels to connect external detectors offered by Thermo DA1, Mirion AMP1000 and Ludlum 133 series.
  • It works with variable detectors like Geiger Muller (GM), Scintillator, and Proportional Counters.
  • It also offers remote monitoring capability via WIFI or radio.
  • And finally, it has the ability to measure neutron and gamma simultaneously.

You can depend on ARM-1000’s detection and monitoring expertise to optimize safety. Our product is also renowned for its operational efficiency. You can be assured that the ARM-1000 will be compliant with your power generation infrastructures.

The ARM-1000 is designed to deliver the latest advancements in technology and functionality and help you sustain safety and productivity long into the future. It delivers the latest advancements in technology and functionality to meet the most demanding applications.

4 SALIENT ADVANTAGES OF ARM-1000

  • Adaptability for a wide variety of radiation monitoring needs
  • Superior Quality designed to withstand the toughest of industry conditions
  • Unparalleled Expertise customizable to your needs
  • Industry-leading innovation that puts your safety and security first

SCIWISE – TRUSTED FOR RADIOACTIVE AREA MONITORING

The SciWise ARM-1000 is your solution to replace the obsolete Thermo RMS3. Across Canada, we are a trusted solutions provider for radioactive area monitoring. We serve clients in a variety of core nuclear industry sectors including Nuclear Power Plants, Military and Defence, Federal Government Labs, Utilities & Research and more.

SciWise is renowned for its innovative measuring and custom solutions that meet client objectives. Plus, our quality management system is certified to: ISO 9001:2015 and CSA N299 4-16. At SciWise, we put your needs first. Check Out our full range of services at SciWise.ca/services.

At SciWise, our professional team of industry experts is ready to assist you in answering all your radiation shielding queries and developing and deploying the products you seek.

Get in touch with us today to learn more!

Call SciWise Solutions at 647 919 6000 to Schedule Your Consultation Today!