Page 51 from: October 2012

51October 2012

Saphymo’s latest aid
to radiation
detection

Saphymo, the France-based specialist in radiation
monitoring and detection, has recently developed a new
system for identifying weak radioactive orphan sourcs
and/or artificial/natural radioactive contamination in
loads of ferrous scrap, metals, waste, e-scrap etc. This
article examines what the so-called RCVL/S7
innovation is able to offer the recycling industry.

Saphymo of Massy in France has created radiation monitoring and
detection systems suitable for a num-
ber of applications, including the
nuclear industries, homeland security,
research, health and, most pertinently,
the recycling industry. Its product range
is focused on the detection and moni-
toring of ionising radiation (alpha,
beta, gamma and neutron) and spans
a wide range of uses relating to the
protection of individuals, plants and
the environment.
The company also provides full main-
tenance services including customer
support, factory maintenance, on-site
interventions and training. It has two
production works in France at Thiron-
Gardais and Montbonnot, as well as in
in Germany (Saphymo GmbH of Frank-
furt) and Italy (Saphymo Italia of
Genoa).
Most recently, the company has
devised a new system for the detection
of weak radioactive orphan sources
and/or artificial/natural radioactive
contamination in loads of ferrous scrap,
metals, waste, e-scrap and steel prod-
ucts entering or leaving not only scrap
yards, steel mills and foundries but also
incineration plants, landfi lls, harbours
and customs facilities. Dubbed RCVL/
S7 (Radiological Control of Vehicle

Load), it is said to be the result of
Saphymo’s on-site experience and col-
laboration with customers. ‘In the new
system, we have implemented state-
of-the-art radioactivity detection tech-
nologies,’ the company states.

All vehicles and loads
RCVL/S7 operates automatically
through dynamic control so that vehi-
cles don’t need to be stopped. In stand-
by mode, the system continuously
monitors environmental background
radiation and compares it with the
typical values to highlight any environ-
mental or operating anomalies.
RCVL/S7 initiates the measuring pro-
cess when a vehicle of any type, size
and dimension approaches the gates.
It analyses the energy spectrum in real

time and compares it to the environ-
mental background so as to compen-
sate for the shielding effect caused by
the mass of the vehicle/load and any
lack of homogeneity in the cargo. As a
result, the system is able to monitor all
types of vehicle and load, ensuring a
high level of sensitivity and avoiding
the false alarms which can occur owing
to, for example, marked changes in the
environmental background, an uneven
load and weather phenomena.
If a measure exceeds a threshold, the
corresponding channel generates an
audible and visual alarm which must
be acknowledged by the operator. In
addition, the system provides a graph-
ical representation of the location of
the source/contaminated material
inside the load. The user can print a
report for each control or can export
the data in Excel format.
The system can operate in both static
mode – in which the vehicle stops
between the detectors – and dynamic
mode whereby the vehicle continues
through the portal, with the same
detection effi ciency ensured in each
case. Once a vehicle has passed
through the portal, RCVL-S7 auto-
matically switches back to monitoring
the environmental background while
awaiting the next vehicle.

Two or more detectors
The radiological portal monitor (RPM)
is based on two or more detectors –
large-volume plastic scintillators of a
standard 25 litres each – connected to
a central unit which provides power
and manages the entire system, includ-
ing remote control and network super-
vision. The spectrometric technology
(which analyses real-time measures
sampled every 100 milliseconds),
coupled with the digital architecture, is
said to provide extremely good radio-
activity detection performance while
avoiding false alarms and other annoy-
ing inconveniences.
The RCVL/S7 system can be equipped
with a number of extras such as cam-
eras, barriers, traffi c lights and alarm
repeaters.
Saphymo’s RPMVision software
enables local supervision of a single
portal monitor as well as remote man-
agement in real time of several systems
installed in other places around the
world via a simple confi guration. Data
exchanges are conducted through an
ftp-protocol which grants security and
compatibility with LAN, WAN and VPN
networks.

For more information, visit:

www.saphymo.com

R A D I A T I O N D E T E C T I O N By Manfred Beck

Saphymo’s R&D team developed the new
radiation detection system in close co-opera-
tion with customers.

The RCVL/S7 system can be equipped with a num-
ber of extras.

R _8- .indd 1 09-10-12 10: