New UAV to Monitor Radiation Following Nuclear Disasters

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University of Bristol researchers have unveiled a large semi-autonomous drone called the ARM system, which could be used to provide visual and thermal monitoring of radiation after a release of nuclear material.

The system was jointly funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and Sellafield Ltd. and was developed in response to requirements for radiation monitoring in the event of the release of radioactive materials.

An example of the potential applications are to help detect radiation and prevent exposure to response crews following incidents like that at the Fukishima Daiichi power plant in March 2011, which was hit by a magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunami.

A University of Bristol release reports that the ensuing hydrogen explosion from the incident, resulting from runaway corrosion of the fuel cladding, caused a significant atmospheric release of radioactive material. Most of this material was removed from the atmosphere by rainfall but contaminated a large area of land extending up to 200 km from the site. The inundation also disabled 23 of the 24 radiation monitoring stations surrounding the site, leaving disaster response teams effectively ‘blind’ to the ensuing radiation hazard.

iHLS – Israel Homeland Security

Monitoring at and around the site was later performed by both governmental and non-governmental specialists in the hours and days following the event. Helicopter-based activities (including monitoring) were conducted at the risk of significant radiation exposure to the crews because a suitable alternative was not available.

According to HLS News Wire the systems have sufficient in-built intelligence to deploy them following an incident and are effectively disposable if they become contaminated.

Over the past six months, the Bristol team has successfully demonstrated the capability of the system in rain, snow, and high winds to observers from Sellafield Ltd. and the National Nuclear Laboratory.

The University of Bristol is now working with the National Nuclear Laboratory to offer this technology in Japan as a tool for assisting with environmental surveying during the ongoing Fukishima clean-up operations and in the surround prefecture. The team is also working to develop UAV mapping and exploration algorithms for projects relating to the detection of buried explosives and depleted uranium ordinance.