Wood is making radiation monitoring of storage ponds safer and more timely by using specially adapted remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).
Conventionally, samples of pond water are collected manually and sent away for laboratory analysis. This approach exposes workers to increased radiation doses, carries the risk of contamination spread due to dropped samples and never gives a current reading because it takes several days to obtain the analysis results.
In an innovative project at the Sellafield nuclear site in the UK, Wood found a way to speed up the process and minimise human intervention, while still obtaining the highest quality results.
A submersible ROV collects samples of water before docking at a custom-built monitoring station floating at the side of the pond, where the sample is analysed by a gamma radiation spectrometer.
With the new system, the reading is obtained in real time and there is no risk of contamination spread because the sample remains underwater. Sampling and monitoring is performed remotely meaning that the operator is not exposed to elevated radiation levels.
This project is a great example of Wood’s ability to apply a mix of appropriate technologies to solve a difficult technical problem for customers in a cost-effective way.
Contact
Gordon John, Wood
gordon.john@woodplc.com
Источник: eurosafe-forum 5.2019