Distributed and connected dosimeter
Disciplines
Electrical and Electronics | Nuclear Engineering | Other Electrical and Computer Engineering
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Depending on where on the earth someone is the amount of background radiation can vary significantly. The scientific community measures background radiation on a micro scale. The information that is collected does not allow analysis of changes on the macro scale. For example, if a mining operation starts ejecting dust with a higher than natural average level of potassium 40 then it may not be detected or only be detected by coincidentally close measuring equipment. Radu Motisan developed an open software/hardware package known as “URAD” to allow DIY Geiger-Muller detectors to measure background radiation on a macro scale via an initial open hardware design that users can modify. This research was conducted to determine the initial accuracy and precision of the open hardware design and develop improvements to the design to enhance both the accuracy and expand potential use cases the detector. The additional utility optimizations of the detector include reduced size, integrated battery power and charging, wireless connectivity, and direct sub system integration. Reduced size and system integrations also reduced the overall cost of the detector design. A high purity germanium detector was used to test and refine the accuracy and precision of the design while a reference Geiger-Muller detector verified these results. A multi-channel oscilloscope was used to analyze electrical characteristics of the detector including, but not limited to, high voltage stability and battery system performance. By calibrating and verifying the detector’s accuracy and precision the scientific community can more readily rely on the collected data for research.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
SPCEET - Electrical and Computer Engineering
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Eduardo Farfan
Distributed and connected dosimeter
Depending on where on the earth someone is the amount of background radiation can vary significantly. The scientific community measures background radiation on a micro scale. The information that is collected does not allow analysis of changes on the macro scale. For example, if a mining operation starts ejecting dust with a higher than natural average level of potassium 40 then it may not be detected or only be detected by coincidentally close measuring equipment. Radu Motisan developed an open software/hardware package known as “URAD” to allow DIY Geiger-Muller detectors to measure background radiation on a macro scale via an initial open hardware design that users can modify. This research was conducted to determine the initial accuracy and precision of the open hardware design and develop improvements to the design to enhance both the accuracy and expand potential use cases the detector. The additional utility optimizations of the detector include reduced size, integrated battery power and charging, wireless connectivity, and direct sub system integration. Reduced size and system integrations also reduced the overall cost of the detector design. A high purity germanium detector was used to test and refine the accuracy and precision of the design while a reference Geiger-Muller detector verified these results. A multi-channel oscilloscope was used to analyze electrical characteristics of the detector including, but not limited to, high voltage stability and battery system performance. By calibrating and verifying the detector’s accuracy and precision the scientific community can more readily rely on the collected data for research.