Year
1994
Abstract
The annual amount of optical surveillance data frames recorded at constant time intervals has risen to 20-30 million which the safeguards inspectors need to review scene by scene. In Consultants and Advisory Group Meetings held by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), experts identified two major approaches to handling the surveillance data, in particular, of multi-camera video systems. (1) Development of a generic video review station for back end data reduction and evaluation; (2) use of front end motion triggering, in order to substantially reduce the quantity of video data to be recorded. Prior to the approval for routine inspection use the Agency requested a field test of front end motion triggering in an operating nuclear facility which uses a multi-camera surveillance system. In Germany, the Ahaus long-term interim dry storage facility for spent fuel is an ideal test bed. The field test began on 12 April, 1994, for a duration of 3 months using a prototype onechannel video surveillance system which had video signal authentication, front end scene change detection, digital recording and time triggered analogue back up recording. 32 CASTOR casks with spent fuel were received and emplaced. All cask movements were reliably recorded by the front end system. The tested system configuration proved to be a viable technique for safeguards application.