Cavendish Nuclear is testing a new system for mapping radioactive hotspots, which promises to transform the decommissioning of redundant nuclear plant.
The company is taking advantage of a breakthrough in fast neutron detection technology to develop a lightweight system that combines simple “plug-and-play” electronics with algorithms developed by Cavendish Nuclear.
The result is a highly manoeuvrable device that provides rapid and highly-accurate modelling of plutonium deposits inside gloveboxes, pipes and valves used to process nuclear material.
It is currently being trialled inside the Sellafield nuclear plant where preparations are being made for the post-operational clean-out and decommissioning of its complex reprocessing plant.
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Cavendish Nuclear identified the potential of the lightweight ARTKIS in 2015 and began developing a compatible data processing capability incorporating the company’s algorithms.
The result is the Plutonium Hold Up Management System, or PHUMS – a lightweight and highly manoeuvrable set-up that combines the slimline ARKTIS detector head with a simple “plug-and-play” laptop housed in a carry-case.