Seeing and Recording Alpha Radiation at a DistanceCopy Link

The NUiX challenge competition, delivered by the KTN, is supporting Tier 1 and Tier 2 companies (the Challenger) to identify innovative solutions to its innovation challenges. The winning business(s) in this competition will be given an opportunity to pitch their solution and potentially receive support from the KTN and the wider InnovateUK network.

Background

The Nuclear Innovation Exchange (NUiX) is supporting a challenge holder to identify transferable solutions for its innovation and customer needs.

The detection of alpha radiation is typically limited by the proximity of the sensor to the contaminated surface (typically 1 - 2cm).  A method of detecting, quantifying and providing a visual record of the location of alpha radiation (or characteristics which evidence the presence of alpha radiation) at distance (e.g. tens of centimetres to greater than 1m) is sought.

It is expected that solutions may exist in some of the following sectors:

• Oil and Gas sector (NORM waste)
• Health and Safety (e.g. fire alarms)
• Defence & Security
• Satellite Systems
• Sensors and Advanced Imaging
• Optical Sensing
• Analytical Instrument Manufacturer
• Mining Industry
• Medical / Healthcare sector

To meet the desired timescale and risks, it is preferred that the proposed solution, or the key part(s) of the solution, has been previously demonstrated in an industrial environment (>TRL 3).  The solution should be achievable within health and safety requirements and regulations.

Rewards and Benefits

Successful applicants will be given an opportunity to pitch to the challenge holder. The package may also include:

• Support from the challenge owner to develop / commercialise the technology
• Support from the Catapults or the KTN to identify development funding opportunities
• Support in the development of a prototype or pilot study (value up to £50k)
• Technical support

• A place at KTN or Catapult events
• A potential business collaboration

Solution Requirements

Functional Requirements

• A potential solution capable of:
• Detecting alpha radiation and providing a visual record of its location from a distance of >1m from the source
• Providing real time information to the operator
• Communicating to a supervisor (ex-situ) in real time (desirable)
• Solution to be hand-held for real time monitoring (desirable)

Technical Characteristics

• Desirable to differentiate between different sources of alpha radiation
• Able to detect the presence of alpha radiation in environments which also contain other sources of radiation (e.g. beta and gamma)
• Results must aim to be repeatable and verifiable
• Would be desirable to be capable of:
• Providing a visual record which is also geo-referenced and time stamped
• Quantifying the amount of alpha
• Detecting alpha in porous surfaces

Deployment Timescale

• Validation of solution: within 1 year
• Field trials: within 1-2 years
• Commercial implementation: within 3 years (quicker if possible)

Operating Conditions

• Capable of deployment into small enclosures (1m³ to several m³) and larger enclosures (multiple sizes of 10s x m³)
• Deployment either into the enclosure through a 150mm diameter entry point or measurement outside of the enclosure and through polymeric or glass window
• Some deployment areas are highly congested with complex equipment
• Radioactive environment
• Working at temperatures from ambient up to 40°C in air
• The potential to communicate outside the active area whilst in operation

Cost Requirement and Market Opportunity

• Over 350 gloveboxes which need characterising at Sellafield in addition to many others opportunities both nationally and internationally.
• There are expected to be over 1 million entries of human workers.  As each entry (air fed suit) costs approx. £2k any way in which we can reduce operator time and therefore risk alongside reducing the number of entries is attractive.  

Eligibility and Assessment Criteria

Entrants to this competition must be:

• Established businesses, start-ups, SMEs or individual entrepreneurs
• UK based or have the intention to set up a UK base

Applications will be assessed on:

• Relevance to the topic
• Innovative nature of the subject
• Coherence of the proposed business model
• Feasibility/ economic viability
• Development potential
• Maturity of project/solution
• Ability to launch project quickly/Ease of implementation
• Price/quality ratio
• Suitability for the Global Market

IP and Potential Commercial Route

• Existing background IP associated with a potential solution will remain with Solution Provider(s). Where any new IP generation is envisaged, it will be subject to the mutual IP agreement of the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.
• Any commercial deployment of transferred solution or newly developed solution, through licensing, joint venture, partnership or direct investment, will be subject to the commercial agreement between the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.
• Where necessary, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) may be signed to uphold confidentiality in the engagement between the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.
• Innovate UK and KTN do not take any share of IP ownership or enter into commercial venture through the NUiX programme.