Location Aware Radiation Monitoring System

描述(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了巨大的成本。准确了解核设施内的辐射环境对于最大限度地减少人员接触至关重要。近年来，核工业对远程监控技术(RMT)的重视程度越来越高。RMT通常包括固定剂量计的网络。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。为了使该剂量计信息最有用，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。根据第15部分的限制，NFER(R)系统在中频频段作为低功率未经许可的发射机运行。通过使用相对较低的频率、长波长传输，NFER(R)信号可以在复杂的工业环境中传播，而多径的影响最小。第一阶段的工作证明，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)系统也可以提供准确的实时定位。我们还在我们的分包商橡树岭国家实验室的帮助下展示了一张概念验证辐射地图。第二阶段工作的最终目标是为实时位置感知辐射监测建立一个经济上可行的商业系统的原型并进行测试。传统的剂量计为个体工作人员提供辐射感知。拟议的努力将使位置感知辐射监测系统能够获取这些个人数据，并将其与位置数据相结合，以在核设施中提供实时辐射感知。拟议的系统还将支持对可疑区域的辐射进行机器人监测，最大限度地减少对健康物理学家或放射控制技术人员的接触。最后，该系统将提供工人的位置和状态数据，这些数据在紧急情况下将具有巨大的价值。拟议第二阶段工作的预期成果将是一个具有以下特点的位置感知辐射监测系统原型：在典型的核工业环境中，典型的位置精度：1M或更高更新率：位置和辐射剂量率的更新率：1赫兹更新率硬件集成：具有结合位置和剂量测定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与公共健康相关性：拟议的工作旨在开发一个原型位置感知辐射监测系统，将辐射暴露与实时位置联系起来。拟议的系统将增强核工作人员的辐射安全，使核设施不仅可以将工人的辐射暴露降至最低，还可以降低电力成本。通过赞助这项拟议的努力，NIEHS不仅将促进核工人的安全，还将促进各种第二产业的工人安全，在这些行业中，准确定位危险环境特征将是有益的。

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.