Converting a Transparency Monitoring System to a Real-Time Radiation Portal Alarm System

Advanced monitoring systems are needed to help monitor and control many kinds of nuclear materials throughout the world. In past years, the main focus has been on monitoring static storage of materials with some emphasis on monitoring the transportation of materials. In both cases, the materials are known and the purpose is to make sure the materials are not used again or stolen. The emphasis is now changing from monitoring to detecting the movement of unknown materials across borders or through seaports. This paper focuses on the challenges of converting an existing system -- the Sandia Material Monitoring System developed to provide for transparency monitoring -- into a real-time radiation portal monitoring and alarm system. Some of these challenges include the addition of an interface to Radiation Portal Monitoring (RPM) systems, high-speed video data acquisition, real-time data communications handling, and advanced work on alarm and annunciation user displays. The process to accomplish this was rigorous, including use of a concept of operations to drive formal requirements, design, and final acceptance testing.