A Sensor and Communication Platform (SCP) for Materials Sealing and Monitoring Application

The enhanced fiber optic loop seal, deployed as the T-1A, was developed by Sandia National Laboratories to replace the aging T-1 ESP (electronic sensor platform) which is currently being utilized as the seal for interim storage of materials at the KAMS (K-Area Material Storage) facility at the Savannah River Site in the United States. The replacement of the T1 ESP was due primarily to component availability and its high production costs. The new design approach pursued by this replacement effort resulted in a device which exhibits improved overall performance, substantially lower production costs, smaller package, longer battery life, and increased ease of application while maintaining the required ‘transparency of replacement’ for the T-1 ESP in existing deployment scenarios. Additionally, the design and implementation approach for the T- 1A created a new multi-mission communication and sensor support platform which represents a much more powerful and versatile system than is currently required by the T- 1A application.