Gamma Ray Counters to Monitor Radioactive Waste Packages in the MICADO Project

TL;DR

This paper presents the design, construction, and testing of 36 low-cost gamma ray counters using scintillating fibers and silicon photomultipliers for monitoring radioactive waste packages in storage sites.

Contribution

It introduces a novel, cost-effective gamma ray counter design and demonstrates its effectiveness through thorough laboratory testing, advancing monitoring capabilities in nuclear waste management.

Findings

Counters successfully tested with radioactive sources

Results show reliable gamma dose-rate monitoring

Next step is testing in real storage environments

Abstract

One of the goals of the MICADO Euratom project is to monitor the gamma rays coming out of radioactive waste drums in storage sites on a medium/long term basis. For this purpose 36 low-cost gamma ray counters were designed and built to act as a demonstrator. These counters, named SciFi, are based on a scintillating fiber readout at each end by a silicon photomultiplier, as-sembled in a robust arrangement in form of 80 cm long pipes. Several counters will be placed around radwaste packages in order to monitor the gamma dose-rate by collecting a continuous data stream. The 36 sensors were thoroughly tested with a 22Na, a 137Cs and an AmBe sources, the results are quite satisfactory and the next step will be the test in a real environment