Genitron’s SkyLINK and ShortLINK radio systems help carry out safety monitoring system upgrades

Monitoring system upgrade in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (Ukraine) with SkyLINK

With the help of the European Union’s Tacis programme the SSSIE EcoCentre, the State Specialized Scientific and Industrial Enterprise, located in Kiev (Ukraine) is upgrading the automated monitoring system around Chernobyl’s 30 km Exclusion Zone. The contract awarded in December 2005 to the consortium of Ukratom Instruments of Ukraine and Genitron Instruments covered a complete overhaul involving the use of 39 new GammaTRACER radio dose rate sensors, 9 new aerosol samplers and the SkyLINK radio system to replace an old wire communication system. A software application for dispersion modeling was also used.

Genitron provides the complete data management system into which data from the other sensors are also integrated, including a meteorological station supplied by Genitron. Factory Acceptance Tests were performed at Genitron during August 2006. Twenty-one system probes of were installed at the Chernobyl site in December 2006. The complete project was finalized in June 2007. Even probes installed behind the shielded sarcophagus give good reception even at a distance 16 km distance. With the following link you can take a look at some of the existing probe installations:
www.uap.fphosting.de/images/montage/photos.htm

Contact: SSSIE EcoCentre, Dr. Oleg Bondarenko, e-mail: boa@ecocentre.mns.gov.ua. Photo: Factory Acceptance Test with SSSIE and Ukratom Instruments at Genitron, Frankfurt, August 2006

The VKTA Nuclear Research Center in Dresden (Germany) does a system upgrade suing ShortLINK

In the GammaTRACER reference brochure a complimentary letter can be found dating back as far as 1994. Ever since then, German company VKTA (Nuclear Technical Procedures and Analysis), based in Dresden, has been using the GammaTRACER probe with infrared readout. In autumn 2006, a contract was signed for the upgrading of the safety using Genitron’s ShortLINK radio system. This was chosen to provide a more flexible and comfortable use of a number of applications that VKTA carries out. The new system was installed in December 2006.

Contact: VKTA Verein für Kernverfahrenstechnik und Analytik, Rossendorf e.V., Dresden, Dr. Andreas Beutmann, phone 0049-260-3448

The modernization of the environmental monitoring systems at Forsmark, Ringhals and OKG NPPs (Sweden) using ShortLINK

New regulations for emergency management systems brought in by the Swedish SSI (the national safety institute) for Sweden’s nuclear power plants lead to the installation of Genitron’s GammaTRACER / ShortLINK radio systems. For the different threat categories plants are obliged to install monitors in premises that may be manned in an emergency situation for a prolonged time, in the reactor containment area and in chimneys or exhaust pathways. This is done in order to measure radiation levels that might occur in the event of severe damage to fuel systems. Equally, the measurement of external radiation outdoors has to be assured within the facility area and in close proximity to the plant.

For applications where fixed and mobile stations around the complete land space are required, the GammaTRACER autonomous probe concept working alongside the proprietary ShortLINK radio system turned out to be the ideal solution for covering these requirements in a cost-efficient and timely manner. According to the users, in practice a wired approach could not have been realized within the short time frame imposed by the SSI. Although official contracts were only received during October 2006, Genitron managed to fulfill all requirements for operational systems based on user allocated frequencies before the end of December, which was required by the regulations. The installations consist mostly of fixed but also flexibly handled probe set-ups within the 5 km range around each individual power plants.

Factory Acceptance Tests and training for the three plants had taken place at the end of November, followed by site installations in December 2006. At Forsmark 7 GammaTRACER radio probes were installed, at Ringhals 8 and at OKG 11. They were installed on December 2006. The latter contract was awarded to Genitron’s French mother company Saphymo.

Contacts:
Ringhals AB, SE-430 22 Väröbacka, phone: 0046-340-66 88 18, Mr. Lars Ekengren, Project Manager, e-mail: lars.ekengren@ringhals.se

Forsmarks Kraftgrupp AB, SE-74203 Östhammar, Mr. Richard Gliegel, Project Manager, phone 0046-173-82557,
e-mail: 5sv@forsmark.vattenfall.se

OKG Aktiebolag, SE-572 83 Oskarshamn, Mr. Bo Nilsson, Project Manager, phone: 0046-491-78 61 95, e-mail: Bo.B.Nilsson@okg.eon.se

Factory Acceptance Test with Ringhals NPP, November 2006

FAT with OKG at Genitron, Dec. 2006