Year
2008
Abstract
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has developed a generic backbone for an integrated tracking system for following nuclear material in transit within a facility or between facilities. This system will support peripheral sensors using standardized hardware interfaces. The generic backbone system supports sensor interfaces of various types including Ethernet, serial, parallel, and high data rate counting channels for radiation monitoring. The approach was not to define which GPS and/or RFID systems could be employed, but merely to create a flexible and inexpensive host platform. Standard COTS subsystems (i.e. GPS and/or RFID) could be inserted into the platform and function seamlessly with existing IAEA UNARM software components. Users are not forced into using a fixed architecture integrated system. The system is packaged in such a way that it could be quickly deployed to the field to track high-value nuclear material assets over short and long ranges, for example, transportation and storage of UF6 cylinders, spent fuel, or fresh MOX fuel.