Development of a field well head safety system for use with radiation generating devices

This paper discusses the design, testing and application of a new interlock system for field use with neutron generating bore hole probes at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. Such probes produce 14 MeV neutrons at a yield up to 3×10 8 neutrons/s, and present an ionizing ra...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Safety science 2003-12, Vol.41 (10), p.877-886
Main Authors: Keegan, Raymond P, Carlos Lopez, J, McGrath, Christopher A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Bore hole
CONFIGURATION
DESIGN
GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
INEEL
INTERLOCKS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
Medical sciences
Neutron generator
NEUTRON GENERATORS
Neutron probe
NEUTRONS
Occupational medicine
PERSONNEL
PROBES
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
RADIATIONS
SAFETY
Subsurface medium
TESTING
Well head safety system
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Summary:This paper discusses the design, testing and application of a new interlock system for field use with neutron generating bore hole probes at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. Such probes produce 14 MeV neutrons at a yield up to 3×10 8 neutrons/s, and present an ionizing radiation hazard to personnel particularly when operated in an unshielded configuration. This interlock system prevents personnel from being exposed to the relatively high radiation fields caused by an unsafe condition when an operating neutron generator probe is withdrawn from a well in the ground. An electromechanical interlock prototype system has been designed, built and tested, and has been found to be effective at preventing this event. The design is simple, is effective in mitigating the hazard, and can be installed in minutes. The system could be modified to interlock radiation-generating devices other than neutron generators that are used in similar environments.
ISSN:0925-7535
1879-1042
DOI:10.1016/S0925-7535(02)00048-6