UAV prototype for localization and identification of radioactive contamination and emitters

S Moretto,F.E Pino Andrades,C.L Fontana,L Pancheri,J Delgado,D Brunelli,G Nebbia,D Fabris,A Quaranta,M Turcato

doi:10.1051/epjconf/202125308001

S Moretto, F.E Pino Andrades + Show 8 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202125308001

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Abstract

The Dragon (Drone for RAdiation detection of Gammas and Neutrons) prototype aims at designing and developing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a detection system able to identify radioactive materials, spread over an area or located in a specific position. The system is focused on the localization of the unknown emitter and its subsequently identification. The proposed prototype is made up of two easily interchangeable detection systems, one will be used as a counter while the second will be aimed to perform goodresolution gamma spectroscopy. Both solutions have neutron gamma discrimination capability in order to be suitable for special nuclear materials (SNM) detection in gamma contamination background. The data acquisition module is made up of a compact digitizer board (RedPitaya, sampling rate of 125 MHz and 14 bits of resolution.), a mini computer (Raspberry, for example). This combination allows to install an embedded operating system (e.g. Linux) that can run the necessary software for the Data Acquisition (DAQ), like the ABCD distributed DAQ. Our contribution will be aimed to show a comprehensive characterization of the two detection systems, a medium size CLLB scintillation detector, and a large plastic scintillator, EJ-276, in order to assess their potential use in a UAV-based radiation monitoring system.

Highlights

RADIOACTIVE and nuclear materials may compose a threat to public health and homeland security in the form of terrorism menaces, lost orphan sources, nuclear accidents or radioactive contamination
Our contribution will be aimed to show a comprehensive characterization of the two detection systems, a medium size CLLB scintillation detector, and a large plastic scintillator, EJ-276, in order to assess their potential use in a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based radiation monitoring system
Since the incident in March 2011 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, a lot of effort has been devoted on the development of new unmanned ground and aerial vehicles (UGV and UAV respectively), equipped with radiation monitoring devices [1]

Summary

INTRODUCTION

RADIOACTIVE and nuclear materials may compose a threat to public health and homeland security in the form of terrorism menaces, lost orphan sources, nuclear accidents or radioactive contamination. The radiation monitoring capabilities of the detectors embedded on a UAV are suitable for gamma-ray detection (dosimetry and spectrometry). The Dragon (Drone for RAdiation detection of Gammas and Neutrons) project aims at designing, developing, and characterizing a UAV equipped with a detection system able to identify radioactive materials, spread over an area or located in a specific position. Gamma rays and neutrons emitted by SNMs have to be detected at the same time, in order to increase the sensitivity against natural background [9]. In the framework of the Dragon project, we present in this work the characterizations of a large plastic scintillator EJ276 and of a medium size CLLB (Cs2LiLaBr6:Ce) scintillation detector, in order to assess their potential use in a UAV-based radiation monitoring system. To study the neutron and gamma response, a 252Cf source was used (neutron yield at the time of the experiments ~ 5.2x104 ± 20% s-1)

EXPERIMENTAL OVERVIEW

High Counting Rate Tests

Findings

CONCLUSION