Year
2004
Abstract
A cooperative agreement between Canberra Aquila and the University of Missouri (MU) arranged for the installation of an Operations Monitoring (OM) demonstration system that incorporates proven safeguards technologies at the university’s research reactor (MURR). At the end of 2003, the primary installation phase, digital surveillance cameras, base stations and a review station, were completed; future installations will include integrated radiation portal monitors and door switches to provide specific triggers for the cameras. Now that the primary installation is completed, it is time to look at the opportunities afforded by the endeavor. The installation of the OM demonstration system at MURR provides substantial technical opportunities for the future development of safeguards equipment, as well as a testing ground for both new components and complete systems in an actual nuclear facility. Furthermore, the installation opens the doors to educational and training opportunities that had previously been infeasible. As a completely safeguards-equipped facility, MURR is an ideal place to ensure the continuity of domestic and international knowledge about the world of safeguards, as well as provide a knowledge center where new theories and ideas can be formulated. Several important programs could b developed at MURR, including Bachelor’s and Master’s programs in Nuclear Safeguards, as well as advanced certification programs. With the backing of a major US university, MURR stands as a place where internships with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would provide hands-on training to the next generation of IAEA inspectors with training classes for equipment and design information verification. The following paper will begin by summarizing the progress of the MURR installation, explaining which phases have been completed and which are underway. Next, the technical opportunities that MURR provides by being the home to an integrated OM demonstration system will be detailed. This discussion will be followed by an extensive examination of the educational and training opportunities that the university can offer the national and international community. The paper will conclude with potential ways for these opportunities to be seized with cooperation from all involved parties: regulatory agencies, industry leaders, academics, and commercial safeguards manufacturers.