System and method for passive assay of holdup deposits in nuclear piping

Patent · Tue Oct 05 04:00:00 EDT 2021

OSTI ID:1859916

Whittaker, William Lawrence; Maley, Siri Katrina; Jones, Heather Louise; Sapunkov, Oleg Borisovich

Disclosed herein are a method, apparatus, and software for passive, non-destructive assay of holdup deposits in nuclear piping by in-pipe apparatus. A detector deployed within a pipe is collimated to observe radiation impinging radially inward from decay of deposits that lie on the pipe wall. A radiation detector is centered in the pipe and collimated by a pair of coaxial shielding discs disposed equidistant from the detector. This arrangement causes radiation from a truncated cylinder of pipe deposit within a field of regard to impinge on the detector, while precluding radiation emanating from pipe walls beyond the field of regard from reaching the detector. Hence, observations are unique to a known cylindrical length of pipe. The detector assembly is translated through pipes by an autonomous mobile robotic apparatus. Computer software controls the robotic apparatus, logs data, and post-processes to assay deposits.

• Research Organization: Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: EM0004383; EM0004478
• Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA)
• Patent Number(s): 11,137,516
• Application Number: 16/649,305
• OSTI ID: 1859916
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English