IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency

Laser-based Monitoring of UF6 cylinders

V. Sequeira, G Bostroem

Institute for the Protection and the Security of the Citizen, European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy

S. Poirier, D. Langlands, B. Chesnay, M. Burmester, C.Liguori, M. Moeslinger International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria

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Acknowledgement:

System developed for the IAEA

Under

a Support Task

with the European Commission

Joint Research Centre of Ispra,

Institute for the Protection and Security of the

Citizen.

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Monitoring the UF6 Cylinder flow

The IAEA SG needs:

Cost & inspection effort saving solutions,

Minimize intrusiveness to the plant operation.

The Technical needs:

• Uniquely identify UF6 cylinders,

• Operational in unattended mode,

• Confirm that the cylinders movement as declared,

• Meet safety standards of the plant,

• Cost-effectiveness.

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2005-2007

Several technical solutions were evaluated

• Stand alone surveillance,

• Identification tags,

• Radio Frequency (RF) IDs,

• Reflective tags and reflective particle tags

• Intrinsic identification: a) Laser surface authentication (Ingenia)

b) Laser surface mapping (JRC)

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Evaluated possible solution:

1-Surveillance-based

identification

Insufficient uniqueness as the two-dimensional “identity” of the cylinder

Screwed, welded or riveted plates...

Variations in shape, material, surfaces and text layout

No Optical Character Recognition ( OCR) possible.

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Evaluated possible solution:

2-Identification Tags were difficult to qualify for

all criteria

Easy-quick- application

Tamper-resistance/indicating

Resistant to process environment tags,

Low cost (important given the number of cylinders

involved)

No Tags / Label relying solution could be qualified.

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Evaluated possible solution:

3-Passive radio frequency tags (RF IDs) • Difficult to attach in a reliable manner that would

guarantee authentication

• May not remain intact throughout the process

4-Reflective particle tags • Operators resistant to the application of any kind of

chemical paint or glue to cylinders

Nothing should be applied on the containers…

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Evaluated possible solution:

5-Laser-based intrinsic

authentication:

cylinder’s own microscopic

structure

fingerprinting can both deter and

combat deception

Two techniques were

retained and evaluated

Cylinder side

surface to be

scanned.

Figure 1: UF6 cylinder front valve side

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2006 Feasibility Studies

of both techniques:

Laser Surface Authentication (LSA) technology

from INGENIA Ltd (UK)

Laser beam producing speckle light from microscopic surface.

3-D Laser Surface Mapping (3D-LSM)

from the EC Joint Research Center, Ispra (Italy)

Uses triangulation to build a precise 3D model of a container’s

surface.

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2006 Feasibility Studies

Results LSA technique could not cope with the unusual

optical properties of the surfaces but would work on short distance, e.g. metal seal identification possible.

3D-LSM yielded good results with dully painted as

well as shiny surfaces at various distances.

IAEA adopted 3D-LSM technology for the Laser Item Identification System (L2IS)

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L2IS based on the 3D LSA technology

The technical solution proposed by EC/IPSC from the JRC Ispra is based on a 3 dimensional Laser Authentication Surface scanning: to be referred as 3D-LSA.

The 3D-LSA Solution is - based on the triangulation technique, - using an off the shelf line scanner which projects a laser beam onto the object. The “illuminated” fraction of the object is captured by a camera positioned in a way that the scene is recorded with a specific angle. The recorded line-picture features the cylinder surface granularity. (EC/ISPC)

(V SEQUIERA/ EC/IPSC)

Figure 2: 3D-LSA technique

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Laser Item Identification System ( L2IS)

The system would be based on:

1.An attended initial scan of the cylinder:

establishes the “Cylinder Surface Identity”, stored in a

database.

2.Unattended scan of all entering and exiting cylinders from and to the processing area,

records the “Cylinder Surface Identity” , and comparing it

to the other records of the database.

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Laser Item Identification System

L2IS SCANNER UNIT 1: Used to record all cylinders “declared” to be used in the coming year, by inspectors.

The technical solution proposed by IPSC from the JRC Ispra is based on a 3 dimensional Laser Authentication Surface scanning.

IAEA/SGTS/M.Lang

Figure 5-a and 5-b: Laser scanner scanning a UF6 cylinder

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Laser Item Identification System

L2IS SCANNER UNIT 2: Permanent unattended “surveillance” of all “ passing” cylinders that are entering or exiting the process area.

L2IS + SDIS

Surveillance

server Transported

UF6 Cylinder.

IAEA/SGTS/M.Lang

Figure 6: L2IS Unattended unit in situ

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L2IS and Surveillance

L2IS unit2 is coupled to IAEA SG standard surveillance system,

L2IS data review is performed under the surveillance interface program GARS.

This reduces the training effort for the system usage.

Standard video

surveillance

(SDIS camera)

L2IS + SDIS

Surveillance

server

Standard video

surveillance

(SDIS camera)

Standard video

surveillance

(SDIS camera)

IAEA/SGTS/M.Lang

Figure 7: L2IS + SDIS surveillance

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2007-2008 Field Testing of very first

prototypes

Scan of static cylinders to establish best power level of lasers (UK, December,2006).

Scan during cylinder movement (France, July, 2007).

Scan under actual field conditions with stop and go (Japan, September 2007).

Scan to determine aging/heating impacts (France, May 2008).

Twelve month trial on “one type of cylinder” scanner (Japan, September 2007-August 2008) .

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2009-2010 Field Testing of L2IS version2

New Features:

• Automatically scan cylinders

• While in motion

• Without any required action from the operators,

• Cope with all three type of existing cylinders,

• New Laser class for both unit 1 & 2 : Class 3R.

Under test since March 2009.

To automate the scanning has required to add one more laser scanner in charge of the detection and safety functions,

To recognize and cope with three different geometries required to have one scanner per type of cylinder.

Figure 8: L2IS unit2 beam shield

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L

Cylinder scanning Area

Active Measurement Area

Identification Area

L2IS Unit 2 version 2

Transfer hall is virtually divided in areas of interest.

Each area is monitored by a specific part of the scanning system:

1.for the recognition of the type of transported cylinder:UF6 cylinder Recognizer,

2. the trolley supervision: Trolley Supervisor,

3.And the cylinder scanning:

UF6 cylinder range–data collector sub-

system .( Note that during the current field test

this module is switched On/Off by the operator by the mean of a key)

Figure 9: L2IS Unit 2-v2 Definition of active areas (IPSC.)

L2IS unit 2 v2 + SDIS cabinet

Transfer

Hall

Class 3R laser beaming < 10 seconds

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Achievements

2010 results:

All types of cylinders can be perfectly recognized,

The system is robust to speed variations ( trolley’s)

The system is now able to “record” cylinders that

were passed several times without having ever

been referenced.

The system can now indicate the presence of

cylinder (in the hall) while laser scanning is Off.

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Future Expansion of L2IS

Integrated System to characterize and quantify NM in

monitored cylinders

• Laser Identification

• Surveillance

• Weighing

• NDA: Uranium mass and enrichment

Scan of cylinders at conversion facility and/or

manufacturer

• Remote identification of the cylinders at any location with a

laser tracking device

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Conclusions

The L2IS system provides the IAEA with an automated system to uniquely identify and thus monitor the complete flow of UF6 cylinders in enrichment plants in an effective and efficient manner.

Short development cycle through the joint development and testing efforts of the IAEA, JRC and facility operators.

The system is non-intrusive and to a large extent automated.

L2IS system can be complemented with additional systems capable of quantifying the nuclear material contained within UF6 cylinders.

L2IS is expected to reduce in-field IAEA inspection resources while at the same time maintaining credible safeguards implementation.