A Radiation-Triggered Surveillance System for UF6 Cylinder Monitoring

Abstract

This report provides background information and representative scenarios for testing a prototype radiation-triggered surveillance system at an operating facility that handles uranium hexafluoride (UF 6) cylinders. The safeguards objective is to trigger cameras using radiation, or radiation and motion, rather than motion alone, to reduce significantly the number of image files generated by a motion-triggered system. The authors recommend the use of radiation-triggered surveillance at all facilities where cylinder paths are heavily traversed by personnel. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has begun using surveillance cameras in the feed and withdrawal areas of gas centrifuge enrichment plants (GCEPs). 1 The cameras generate imagery using elapsed time or motion, but this creates problems in areas occupied 24/7 by personnel. Either motion-or-interval-based triggering generates thousands of review files over the course of a month. Since inspectors must review the files to verify operator material-flow-declarations, a plethora of files significantly extends the review process. Undeclared production, an instance where operators use undeclared, natural UF 6 to produce undeclared product in the form of low-enriched UF 6 , remains a safeguards quandary. This is primarily because process cylinders are under neither seal nor surveillance at most facilities. The IAEA's New Model Safeguards Approach recommends the sealing of all empty and full cylinders or the use of surveillance in the process area as a means of detecting unreported production. 2 Placing all cylinders and process stations under seal at a commercial facility is very time consuming and would require a continual inspector presence so as not to interfere with operations. There is no easy means of sealing all cylinders at their stations, but the authors believe inspectors can apply surveillance in areas of high activity if the cameras use radiation rather than motion for triggering.