Location Aware Radiation Monitoring System

位置感知辐射监测系统

• 批准号: 8073834
• 负责人: Hans Gregory Schantz
• 金额: $ 8.91万
• 依托单位: Q-TRACK CORPORATION
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-05-01 至 2010-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8073834
• 关键词: Area; Awareness; Characteristics; Computer software; Contracts; Data; Development; Dose; Dose-Rate; Early Diagnosis; Electromagnetic Fields; Emergency Situation; Environment; Event; Exposure to; Frequencies; Gases; Goals; Health; Health Physics; Human Resources; Individual; Industry; Knowledge; Laboratories; Left; Location; Maps; Measures; Monitor; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Nuclear; Operating System; Outcome; Performance; Persons; Phase; Radiation; Radiation Monitoring; Real-Time Systems; Relative (related person); Robot; Robotics; Safety; Services; Signal Transduction; Surveys; System; Technology; Testing; Time; Update; Work; computerized data processing; cost; dosimetry; experience; follow-up; interest; microwave electromagnetic radiation; operation; prototype; public health relevance; success; transmission process

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Radiation exposure of nuclear workers is not only a serious health and safety issue, but also imposes substantial costs on nuclear utilities. Precise knowledge of the radiation environment within a nuclear facility is essential to minimizing personnel exposure. In recent years, there has been an emphasis on remote monitoring technology (RMT) in the nuclear industry. RMT often includes networks of fixed dosimeters. In many situations however, one would like to be able to monitor the radiation level using mobile robot-mounted-dosimeters or personal dosimeters. For this dosimeter information to be most useful, it must be correlated with location information. Q-Track is the pioneer in Near-Field Electromagnetic Ranging or "NFER(R)" technology. NFER(R) systems operate in the MF band under Part 15 limits as low-power unlicensed transmitters. By using relatively low frequency, long wavelength transmissions, NFER(R) signals can propagate in complicated industrial environments with minimal impact from multipath. The Phase I effort demonstrated that Q-Track's NFER(R) systems can yield accurate real-time location even in the very difficult RF propagation environment of a nuclear industrial facility. We also demonstrated a proof- of-concept radiation map with the assistance of our subcontractor Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The ultimate goal of the Phase II effort is to prototype and test an economically viable commercial system for real-time location aware radiation monitoring. Conventional dosimeters provide radiation awareness to individual workers. The proposed effort will enable a Location Aware Radiation Monitoring System that takes this individual data and integrates it with location data to provide real-time radiation awareness in nuclear facilities. The proposed system will also support robotic monitoring of radiation in suspect areas, minimizing exposure to health physicists or radiological control technicians. Finally, the system will provide worker location and status data that will be of enormous value in the event of an emergency situation. The anticipated outcome of the proposed Phase II effort will be a prototype Location Aware Radiation Monitoring System with the following characteristics: Typical Location Accuracy: 1m or better in typical nuclear industrial environments Update Rate: 1Hz update rate for both location and radiation dose rate Hardware Integration: Worker or robot tag with combined location and dosimetry Software Integration: Radiological control software with real-time radiation mapping PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed effort aims to develop a prototype Location Aware Radiation Monitoring System to correlate radiation exposure with real-time location. The proposed system will enhance the radiological safety of nuclear workers, allowing nuclear utilities to not only minimize worker radiation exposure, but also reduce the cost of electrical power. By sponsoring the proposed effort, NIEHS will not only promote nuclear worker safety but also promote worker safety in a wide variety of secondary industries where precise location of hazardous environmental characteristics would be beneficial.

描述（由申请人提供）：核工作人员的辐射暴露不仅是一个严重的健康和安全问题，而且还给核设施带来巨大成本。准确了解核设施内的辐射环境对于最大限度地减少人员暴露至关重要。近年来，核工业中的远程监控技术（RMT）受到重视。 RMT 通常包括固定剂量计网络。然而，在许多情况下，人们希望能够使用移动机器人安装的剂量计或个人剂量计来监测辐射水平。为了使剂量计信息最有用，它必须与位置信息相关联。 Q-Track 是近场电磁测距或“NFER(R)”技术的先驱。 NFER(R) 系统作为低功率免许可发射机在第 15 部分限制下的 MF 频段运行。通过使用频率相对较低的长波长传输，NFER(R) 信号可以在复杂的工业环境中传播，同时将多径影响降至最低。第一阶段的工作表明，即使在核工业设施非常困难的射频传播环境中，Q-Track 的 NFER(R) 系统也能提供准确的实时定位。我们还在分包商橡树岭国家实验室的协助下展示了概念验证辐射图。第二阶段工作的最终目标是原型设计并测试经济上可行的商业系统，用于实时位置感知辐射监测。传统剂量计为个别工作人员提供辐射意识。拟议的工作将实现位置感知辐射监测系统，该系统获取这些单独的数据并将其与位置数据集成，以提供核设施中的实时辐射感知。拟议的系统还将支持机器人监测可疑区域的辐射，最大限度地减少健康物理学家或放射控制技术人员的暴露。最后，该系统将提供工人位置和状态数据，这些数据在紧急情况下将具有巨大价值。拟议第二阶段工作的预期成果将是具有以下特征的原型位置感知辐射监测系统： 典型位置精度：在典型核工业环境中为 1m 或更高 更新率：位置和辐射剂量率均为 1Hz 更新率 硬件集成：具有位置和剂量测量组合的工人或机器人标签 软件集成：具有实时辐射测绘的放射控制软件 公共卫生相关性：拟议的工作旨在开发一种 原型位置感知辐射监测系统将辐射暴露与实时位置相关联。拟议的系统将增强核工作人员的辐射安全，使核电公司不仅可以最大限度地减少工作人员的辐射暴露，而且还可以降低电力成本。通过赞助拟议的工作，NIEHS 不仅将促进核工人的安全，还将促进各种第二产业中工人的安全，这些行业中危险环境特征的精确定位将是有益的。