D3S - results of qualification measurements of a wearable RIID for homeland security: Paper presented at INMM 2019, 60th Annual Meeting Institute of Nuclear Materials Management, July 14-18, 2019, Palm Desert, California, USA

A testing facility for qualification tests of measurement devices for radioactive and nuclear material was established at the Fraunhofer INT. This was done in the framework of the Illicit Trafficking Radiation Detection Assessment Program + 10 (ITRAP+10). The test methods were developed in the program based on ANSI and IEC standards. After the completion of the setup of the facilities, they are now used for the testing of various devices. This paper deals with tests in accordance with the ITRAP test procedures and the corresponding results obtained for the D3S detector from Kromek. The device is designed to be used as radiation isotope identifier (RIID) as well as personal radiation dosimeter (PRD). Therefore tests referring to both test methods were performed. The device contains a cesium iodine gamma as well as a non-helium-3 neutron detector and both kinds of sources were used for the device qualification. The tests are divided in tests of general requirements, radiological tests, and radionuclide identification tests. The tests of general requirements include for example tests of the user interface, battery requirements, documentation or audible and vibrational alarm. The radiological tests comprise tests concerning false identification rate, time to alarm, accuracy tests for photons, over range and gamma response of the neutron detector. The quality of the nuclide identification results is part of the radionuclide tests. Partly the requirements for PRDs and RIIDs are identical, partly not. For example the time to alarm value in which an alarm after the device is exposed to the source shall be created is 2 s for PRDs and 3 s for RIIDs. The D3S passed many tests, but also failed some. The tests also showed the limits of such test procedures. They are standard tests under fixed conditions whereas in reality different situations occur in which the obtained results may not turn out as well as the tests indicate. The paper gives results of the qualification tests done with the D3S as well as a suggestion for an additional close to reality test

Highly efficient on-site detection of neutron sources with the INT measurement car DeGeN

Counter-acting the potential misuse of nuclear and radioactive material has been a subject of tremendous importance for quite a while, and the detection of such material is a key figure to counter-acting measures in that respect. Especially regarding nuclear material, detecting gamma and neutron radiation simultaneously on-site with high efficiency provides a good chance of retrieving such material during transport after it was removed from nuclear facilities, either as a malicious act or simply by chance. The Fraunhofer INT's (Institute for Technological Trend Analysis) measurement car DeGeN (detection of gammas including neutrons) is equipped with highly sensitive 3He neutron detectors and 12 l plastic detectors for gammas. After a reconfiguration of the measurement system, including new gamma detectors, the INT was given the opportunity of verifying the system's detection limits at the premises of WIS (Bundeswehr Research Institute for Protective Technologies and CBRN Protection) in Munster, Germany. Two different neutron sources were used for the experimental determination of the detection limits concerning neutrons. The results were then compared to theoretical detection limits which had been calculated previously. The results proved to be in good agreement overall

Qualification setup for systems for measuring nuclear and radioactive material: Paper presented at INMM 2018, 59th Annual Meeting Institute of Nuclear Materials Management, July 22-26, 2018, Baltimore, Maryland

In various types of application, systems for measuring nuclear and radioactive material are used. During the purchase decision-making process, the information given by the manufacturer will be taken into consideration. In other application are as several well established standards exist which have to be fulfilled and in relation to which the devices are tested in qualified laboratories. In the field of measurement systems for nuclear and radioactive material no test laboratories in Europe were established for this kind of devices yet. In the Illicit Trafficking Radiation Detection Assessment Program + 10 (ITRAP+10) dedicated testing procedures, test equipment and test methods have been developed based on ANSI and IEC standards. The corresponding tests have been performed at the European Joint ResearchCentre (JRC) in Ispra (Italy) and in several national labs in the US. The next step is to enable laboratories in Europe to verify an instrument’s compliance to these standards. This is currently carried out in ITRAP+10 Phase II in work package 2. The Fraunhofer INT is one of the participating organizations and has conceived and built a test environment to perform the corresponding dynamic and static test measurements using neutron and gamma sources. This paper deals with the development of the testing facility at Fraunhofer INT consisting of a guide rail system with roller carriages carrying the measurement systems. A lifting device controlled with pressurized air lifts the radioactive sources from inside a shielding case up to a position in front of the measurement systems. The system is completed by a data acquisition system which includes video data collection. This enables the analysis of the time response even for systems without data storage capabilities. The setup is quite flexible and offers many options. The development phase as well as first experience with the system and first investigations of measurement systems are presented

Radiation detection for OSI - A study of non-He-3 neutron detectors: Poster presented at CTBT: Science and Technology 2019 Conference, 24 to 28 June 2019, Vienna, Austria

Within the past decade a significant shortage of He-3 and consequently an enormous increase in cost has occurred. Detectors equipped with He-3 are widely used in neutron detection applications, e.g. by first responders, during on-site inspections, and in other applications where nuclear and radioactive material has to be detected, localized and possibly identified. Therefore replacement materials need to be considered, selected, implemented in corresponding detectors, and thoroughly tested. Another development in the field of hand-held radiation detection devices focuses on simultaneous neutron and gamma ray detection with a single scintillator. These may lead to a new type of small and efficient hand-held devices, utilizing non-He-3 neutron detection. The outcome of a study of the scintillators CLYC and CLLB which allow a simultaneous measurement of gamma and neutron radiation will be presented in this contribution. Additionally, results with a neutron detector implemented in a wearable Radiation Isotope Identifier Device (RIID), the D3S from Kromek, will be shown. Differences in the detection of neutron radiation will be explored and analyzed regarding their potential use in on-site inspections

Qualification Test System for Radiation Detection Devices QuTeSt

Measurement equipment for the detection and identification of radioactive and nuclear (RN) material has a wide application area. The main application aspects are monitoring, search, and identification. A common goal is to gain reliable measurement results. In the past, the only way to assess the performance of a measuring device was to rely on the data given by the manufacturer of the device itself. Reliable test results from an independent third party are more than welcome. These tests can be performed against consensus standards in order to have reproducible test results, independent of the testing location and the performing laboratory. Fraunhofer INT has conceived and built a test environment to perform dynamic and static test measurements using neutron and gamma sources. Tests can be performed in accordance with the IEC and ANSI standards as well as the ITRAP+10 test procedures. This includes qualification tests of truck portal monitors with the dynamic test system. Generally, the effects of one test parameter on other test parameters are not considered in the test procedures. For example, the accuracy of the dose rate may depend on the energy range of the radioactive source used. Besides the overview of the test systems the paper will address restrictions, problems and limitations of the possible qualification measurements as well as potential limitations arising from the given test procedures themselves