Development of a radioactive contamination assessment system for energy sector pipework

依靠核燃料、石油和天然气的传统能源工业运营着大量已经或至少接近使用寿命的设施。这些设施经常清空数公里的管道，这些管道可能受到天然放射性物质或作为工业过程一部分的放射性物质的污染。这些设施的安全运行和后期退役对运营商和整个社会都是一个重大挑战。作为其中的一部分，根据其残余放射性污染对管道进行分类，并将其分为可回收材料和最终处置材料。可能受到污染的管道通常很难进入，尤其是在不让工人受到伤害的情况下。本项目提出的解决方案是，通过这些管道发送一个方向灵敏的有害放射性物质发射的伽马射线探测器，报告管道内部有放射性有害残留物的位置。TRL3原型已经开发出来，该项目将把它提升到TRL5，展示一个概念验证装置，准备安装在合适的机器人车辆上。这一挑战将由格拉斯哥大学物理与天文学院的研究人员来应对，他们各自在辐射传感器、探测器系统电子设备以及分析和控制软件的开发方面贡献了世界领先的专业知识。该团队已经与相关行业的利益相关者密切合作，以指导他们的研究方向。由此产生的系统将为通过管道评估伽马、x射线和中子发射的放射性污染提供一个完整的解决方案，并提供必要的信息，以毫米精度将这些污染分类和分离为有害或可回收的废物。

The traditional energy industry, relying on nuclear fuel, oil and gas, operates a large number of facilities at or at least nearing the end of their useful life. Quite often these installations empty kilometres of pipework which could potentially be contaminated by natural occurring radioactive materials or radioactive substances as part of the industrial processes. The safe operation and later decommissioning of these facilities poses a major challenge for the operators and society in general. As part of this, the classification of sections of pipework according to their residual radioactive contamination and segregate it into recyclable materials and materials for final disposal.Potentially contaminated pipework is often very difficult to access, especially without putting workers in harm's way. This project proposes a solution in that a directionally sensitive detector for gamma-rays emitted by harmful radioactive materials will be sent through these pipes to report where on the inside of the pipe a radioactive and harmful residue resides. A TRL3 prototype has been developed and this project will elevate it to TRL5 showing a proof-of-concept device ready for mounting on a suitable robotic vehicle.This challenge will be met by researchers from the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Glasgow, each contributing their world-leading expertise in the development of radiation sensors, electronics for detector systems and analysis and control software. The team is already closely working with stakeholders in the relevant industries to guide the direction of their research. The resulting system will provide a complete solution for assessing gamma, X-Ray and neutron-emitting radioactive contamination through pipes and provide the necessary information to classify and segregate these into harmful or recyclable waste with millimetre precision.