System Design Strategies for a Radio Frequency±Based Cylinder Accountability and Tracking System

Year
2010
Author(s)
Chris Pickett - Oak Ridge National Laboratory
J. Michael Whitaker - Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Nathan C. Rowe - Oak Ridge National Laboratory
J.R. Younkin - Oak Ridge National Laboratory
M.D. Laughter - Oak Ridge National Laboratory
B. Carrick - United States Enrichment Corporation
Peter Fitzgerald - Global Nuclear Fuels
Abstract
The Cylinder Accountability and Tracking System (CATS) is a tool that allows operators at uranium processing plants to improve cylinder management and, when combined with other technologies, could be used by the International Atomic Energy Agency to improve overall inspector efficiency. The system tracks cylinder movements using radio frequency (RF) tags. The performance of RF tracking is highly dependent on the system design and the equipment layout used in the deployment. Positioning and power settings of the reader antennas are important components of deployment along with tag attachment, data management, and data processing. These elements are discussed in relation to field trials of CATS that have been completed at the United States Enrichment Corporation transfer facility in Portsmouth, Ohio, and at the Global Nuclear Fuels fuel fabrication facility in Wilmington, North Carolina.