Minimum dose path planning based on three-degree vertex algorithm and FLUKA modeling: Radiation source discrimination and shielding considerations

Abstract

Minimum dose path planning in radioactive environments has received significant attention because workers need to be protected from undue radiation risks. The conventional approaches use the innovative shortest path algorithms to search for the optimal path. However, the methods are limited in complex geometries, large navigation space, and when shielding is considered. Also, the traditional approaches lack source discrimination capability (multiple sources terms, type of radiation, and size of source). This study presents a novel application of the Three-Degree of Vertex (TDV) shortest path algorithm with FLUKA Monte Carlo modeling for optimal protection of workers in radioactive environments. TDV algorithm solves the shortest path problem with bidirectional routing in complex environments. The implementation considers multiple radiation sources with diverse geometry and characteristics such as different radiation types. The current work also presents the algorithm performance with shielding consideration and complex geometry. The merits of the TDV are also evaluated in real scenarios using accuracy, reliability, and speed as evaluation metrics. In addition, the performance of the TDV is also compared with the Dijkstra algorithm for all scenarios considered.