Commercialization of a TEPC Radiation Monitor

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We have developed a breadboard design for a cosmic radiation monitor that could be produced as a standard piece of avionics on commercial aircraft. The unit is based around a Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (TEPC), the most accurate type of detector that can be used for this purpose, and the design makes it simple to interface it to a range of different airframes. Although there is a lot of concern about exposure to cosmic radiation, with legislation backing this up within Europe, we have established that the market for this type of unit is complex, with significant geographic dependencies, and needs a detailed assessment. The purpose of this project is to explore the market and how it might evolve through discussions with the airlines and avionics specialists; in these we will explore several options including whether the unit should be leased to airlines as part of a monitoring service. We also plan to undertake a proof of concept evaluation of a novel calibration system for the unit that has applications elsewhere. This project follows on from work undertaken within a mini-PIPSS project. That project produced a design that we believe can be manufactured at reasonable cost but it raised many issues related to the potential market. The issues need to be resolved in order to determine whether to move the concept into production with the aid of a full PIPSS project.