Beta Radiation Detection for AWE
AWE radiation monitoring
Challenge: As is evident, radiation poisoning is insidious. It is dangerous but doesn’t manifest itself to human senses until too late. Organisations that deal with radioactive substances do of course meet stringent standards and individuals do walk round with monitoring badges, but no extra monitoring is too much. This project investigated Beta radiation monitoring of individuals walking through corridors. It was for an inobtrusive measurement – the person wouldn’t know the scan was taking place. The project was a feasibility study – not an instruction to develop the whole product.
Solution: This project didn’t get beyond feasibility, but it clearly shows the EM’s ability to investigate and test to determine project viability.
Skills:
- Scientific skills. The EM quickly absorbed the physics that’s necessary to understand such a problem.
- Two iterative design and manufacturing runs were undertaken. The circuits designed fulfilled their functions.
- Advanced analogue electronics. It was necessary to design advanced analogue filters and detect fempto-coulombs of charge. This was successfully achieved.
Journey: The journey was one in which the principles of design were proved, but the requirements of real-world situations needed more scoping. It is a success in as far as the designs and circuits performed to specification, but the target performance for actual use needed more definition.
The EM is very adept at carrying out this kind of work, but there was a lesson learnt in as far as it isn’t okay to do feasibility studies without a clear definition of success. All projects since this have had rigorously defined goals.
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