Euratom Field Experience with the Ministar Surveillance System and the Cobra Optical Fibre Seal System

EURATOM performed a number of laboratory and in-field tests during 1984/85/86 on two MINISTAR Surveillance Systems and the COBRA Optical Fibre Seal System provided by Sandia National Laboratories. The MINISTAR Systems have been utilized in the field in a variety of different facilities, including a mixed oxide fabrication plant, a plutonium store, a reprocessing plant, and in a fast critical assembly. The COBRA Optical Fibre Seal System has been utilized in a fabrication plant, a reprocessing plant, and a research laboratory plutonium store. The results obtained from the field tests are given in this paper and the overall use and advantages of the two systems within the overall EURATOM Safeguards instrument strategy for containment and surveillance are discussed.