iCAM Alpha/Beta Air Monitor Data Sheet

1 ICAM Alpha/Beta Air Monitor Features Engineering: Description Removable, card-mounted CANBERRA's intelligent Alpha/Beta filters Continuous Air Monitor (iCAM) provides Automatic self-initialization robust and reliable monitoring of airborne and operation on power on alpha and beta particulate activity Electronic air flow rate in the workplace. It acts as a simple measurement, with high and alarming Monitor for operators while low flow alarms measuring airborne activities in real time with the sophistication required to Continuous total airflow provide low false alarm rates and high recording and reporting protection levels. At the same time it User-set alarms with local provides automated facilities which assist and remote reporting supervisors to conduct detailed setup Simple/automated checks for and operational overview. calibration, gain and spectrum The iCAM measures airborne alpha shape and beta particulate activity with radon/.

2 Software package for full thoron alpha and beta background iCAM configuration by local compensation. It also provides static computer or via a network or dynamic compensation of beta measurements for gamma background depending on the choice of Fault diagnostics show on the detector type. local display and across the network Air is drawn through the instrument by means of an external pump or vacuum system, and airborne particulate material is deposited on the removable RS-485 and RS-232 card-mounted filter. The filter is monitored by a robust CANBERRA CAM PIP. communication interfaces (passivated ion-implanted planar silicon) radiation detector, which allows One-week data storage with simultaneous measurement of both alpha and beta radioactivity in the detailed event log material deposited on the filter. The air flow is measured directly and reported by the instrument.

3 The design of the airflow system is optimized to ensure Data is RS-232 and RS-485. high air sampling efficiency and high transmission of particles to the filter. transferable to Microsoft . The iCAM has a high detection efficiency for both alpha and beta particles Excel and provides a good sensitivity for low energy beta detection. Thirty minute protection of full Measurement results are presented on the high-visibility graphical display functionality by built-in battery on the instrument's front panel. User setup and diagnostics are via the local backup keypad and the graphical display which provide a natural user interface. Five years protection of Results may also be reported via the RS-232 or RS-485 network connections configuration memory to a local computer or plant surveillance system. Each instrument stores historical data, typically from the previous seven days, which may also be transmitted by network if required.

4 The historical data includes not only activity readings, updated every five minutes in normal operation, but also alarms, filter changes and user interactions. Each event is logged with its date and time. CANBERRA IS THE NUCLEAR MEASUREMENTS BUSINESS UNIT OF AREVA. We are Measurement solutions for nuclear safety and security. C37970 3/10 Printed in iCAM Alpha/Beta Air Monitor The iCAM Primary Alarm uses measurements taken over a user Features selectable interval of typically five minutes, and this data is updated as rolling average every 15 seconds. alpha , beta and gamma (where Measurement: applicable) measurement values are each tested against user-set alarm Continuous monitoring of both levels. There are three separate sets of three alarm levels, one set of alpha and beta activity in air three for each of the alpha , beta and gamma measurement variables.

5 Additional defence against larger emissions of activity in a short time is alpha MCA spectroscopy and provided by the Quick Alarm, for which decisions are made on the new separate beta discrimination data accumulated every 15 seconds. Good low energy beta Finally, iCAM also provides a Long Term Alarm (Chronic Activity Alarm). detection Here the lowest level alarm may be user-allocated to data accumulated Auto-adaptive spectrometric over a long time interval, typically >20 minutes, so that the most sensitive compensation for radon / measurements can be achieved. All the alarms are fully compensated for thoron the backgrounds from gamma radiations and from radon/thoron daughter Static gamma background activities. compensation with single In addition, any alarms may be indicated locally by visual and audible CAM PIPS detector signals, remotely by relay circuits, or centrally by connection to a suitable Fully compensated activity monitoring network.

6 Alarm events are also archived. alarms Hardware Three activity levels for The iCAM instrument is packaged in a rugged steel enclosure which primary alarms provides IP54 environmental protection and EMC screening. The front panel carries the local controls and indicators, including the high visibility Additional Quick and Long graphical display, the local keypad and the various indicator lights. The Alarm RS-232 connector and the alarm sounder are positioned in the bottom Discharge and discharge third of the front panel. The air inlet and alarm beacons are mounted on rates for duct/stack monitoring top of the instrument. When the power supply is switched on, the instrument will perform initialization tests and begin normal operation without any operator intervention. It will begin providing valid measurements within 15 seconds after starting normal operation.

7 It will then update measurements at 15 second intervals, whatever the user-set counting interval. Air is drawn into the instrument at a preset rate, within the range 15-60 L/min ( ft3/min), typically about 37 L/min ( ft3/min), and particulate material is deposited on a removable filter card. The instrument may be fitted with an adapter for the attachment of a 25. mm (1 in.) pipe. An airflow regulator valve is provided as an option, and the choice of air outlet position may be adopted from either of two connectors: one on top of and one on the bottom of the instrument. The airflow rate is measured directly on board and its value is used to calculate concentration values and integrated concentration values. Low and high flow alarm values can be set by the user. The total air flow since last reset is recorded and reported. iCAM Alpha/Beta Air Monitor Detectors Options A CANBERRA PIPS detector is used for detecting both alpha and beta activity.

8 The single detector version provides static gamma compensation Trolley mounted system of beta measurements in low or steady gamma background conditions. Dual CAM PIPS detector Optionally, iCAM can come with a dual detector made from two similar version with dynamic gamma detectors in a single housing, with the second detector located very close compensation to the first. This second detector is not exposed to the airflow or filter Full-function area gamma and instead provides the data to make accurate dynamic compensation alarm Monitor capability using measurements for the effect of gamma backgrounds. the optional G64 detector The measurement range of the instrument extends to over 500 kBq I/O expansion option provides ( Ci) of combined alpha and beta activity deposited on the filter. A. RS-422 pulse train outputs background activity check measurement and display function is provided, (compatible with previous which can be accessed via the front panel controls.)

9 This check may also Harwell instruments), and be used to identify the presence of contamination within the Monitor or to also current loop input, assess ambient gamma background values. optoelectronic outputs and Instrument Annunciators other I/O Five high-brightness indicator lamps draw attention to specific conditions as designated in the table below: Indicator Indicator Indicator Indicator Name Color On Off Alarm Red An activity alarm No activity alarm condition or a gamma condition has been doserate alarm detected. condition has been detected. Muted Yellow The audio alarm has The audible sounder has been switched off. not been switched off. Fault Red An equipment failure No equipment failure alarm condition has alarm condition has been been detected. detected. AC On Green The Monitor has The Monitor does not ac power. have ac power.

10 (It may still be operating on its internal battery.). Monitoring Green The instrument is in The instrument is not in monitoring mode. the operating mode. An audio alarm provides indication of alarm or fault conditions. The audible sounder can be muted by use of the local controls without affecting the other alarm indications. iCAM Alpha/Beta Air Monitor Display Features A 240 x 128 pixel (100 x 80 mm) (4 x in.) LED-backlit liquid crystal display panel presents operational information, and together with Engineering: the panel controls, forms a natural interface for the user. It can show A light and compact integrated ongoing measurement data in various forms, including a live display of unit, which is robust, simple to the accumulating alpha spectrum. The default is the measured activity use and easy to maintain levels in the pre-selected units.