USE OF VACIS GAMMA-RAY IMAGING SYSTEM TO INSPECT NUCLEAR WASTE CONTAINERS

SAIC’s VACIS (Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System), a gamma-ray radiographic system, was used to support LANL’s Large Scale Demonstration and Deployment Project sponsored by DOE’s Deactivation and Decontamination Focus Area at the Federal Energy Technology Center. The demonstration was performed using SAIC’s Mobile VACIS and waste containers at the LANL Solid Waste Operations Area. There is a need to non-intrusively determine the nature and position of large metal objects packaged in fiber-glass reinforced plywood boxes in order to facilitate the safe retrieval of these contaminated objects. LANL is in the process of retrieving previously packaged large metal objects for processing and repackaging in LANLs Low-level Waste Disposal Area as low-level waste or transportation to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for disposal as transuranic waste. This paper describes the VACIS gamma-ray imaging technology and provides an overview of its application in a number of different system designs. Results of the brief demonstration on actual waste containers are presented. Recent improvements in VACIS performance (penetration and image resolution) are discussed since these improvements will enhance the overall usefulness of VACIS for nuclear waste container examination.