Simulation, Design, and Construction of a 137Cs Irradiation Facility

Abstract

Regulatory entities require that for any radiation facility the surrounding areas must be restricted unless the dose equivalent is less than 0.02 mSv in any one hour. Two Monte Carlo radiation transport simulation codes, MCNP5 and Mercurad, were used to design a facility to shield a 3.48 x 10(5) MBq 137Cs irradiator that meets these requirements. Simulations showed that the dose equivalent rates were below the legal limit for unrestricted access and the facility was constructed using available concrete block and student labor to minimize costs. To verify the accuracy of the Monte Carlo radiation transport codes, an ion chamber was used to characterize the facility. Ion chamber measurements in the actual, as-built irradiation facility showed that the Monte Carlo codes, MCNP5 and Mercurad, agreed by a factor of better than 6% and better than 11%, respectively.