Design of a Mobile Radiation Detection System for Seaports
Conference
·
OSTI ID:900540
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has developed a mobile radiation detection system for the U.S. Customs department. Based on the radiation detection instruments currently in use at many border crossings, the mobile radiation portal monitor (mRPM) consists of two Ludlum 4500-3000 detector panels, a package of sensors and a sensor integration module mounted to a medium duty truck chassis. The sensor package detects the presence of scanning targets (containers) and uses this to control operation of the detectors. The mRPM is designed to scan containerized cargo at seaports. A single mRPM can be driven past grounded or chassis-mounted containers (both sides of the container must be scanned for complete coverage), or a pair of mRPM systems can be parked opposite one another to form a relocatable portal. This rapidly reconfigurable system has proven to be very useful for targeted scanning of containers at multiple seaports. Since seaports are frequently space-constrained and contain few chokepoints, mobile systems that can be easily relocated allow customs operators to effectively scan cargo with minimal interference with the flow of commerce. Operators previously trained in the use of the stationary radiation portal monitors require minimal additional training to use the mRPM systems. The medium duty trucks employed are similar to one-ton crew cab pickup trucks, and a commercial driver's license is not required to operate them. In addition to successful deployments at seaports, the mRPM units have proven useful in other applications, such as preliminary characterization of rail cargo and targeted scanning at special events (political conventions).
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 900540
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-47713; 400903010
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Straddle Carrier Radiation Portal Monitoring
A discrete-event simulation model for seaport operations.
Operational Focused Data Analytics for Optimizing Radiation Portal Monitor-Based Nuclear Smuggling Detection Systems at Global Ports of Entry
Conference
·
Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2005
·
OSTI ID:877028
A discrete-event simulation model for seaport operations.
Journal Article
·
Wed Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1997
· Simulation
·
OSTI ID:938211
Operational Focused Data Analytics for Optimizing Radiation Portal Monitor-Based Nuclear Smuggling Detection Systems at Global Ports of Entry
Conference
·
Mon May 01 00:00:00 EDT 2023
·
OSTI ID:2281985