Year
1995
Abstract
During 1992 and 1993, the CEC Euratom Safeguards Directorate and Aquila Technologies began a joint effort to perform initial evaluations of an Aquila designed, alldigital, networkable, safeguards surveillance system called Gemini. In fall 1993, the design approach and evaluation data from the joint Euratom - Aquila effort was presented to IAEA by Aquila. As a result, the IAEA proposed that certain portions of the development of Gemini be funded by the US Support Program on behalf of the IAEA. This paper provides a survey of the participation of developer, sponsors, and multi-inspectorate users in developing and testing a new safeguards surveillance instrument. As a result, twenty-one (21) Gemini Surveillance Systems were delivered to customers during the last quarter of 1994 and the first quarter of 1995. Eighteen (18) systems were delivered to CEC for operational field testing and subsequent routine implementation and three systems to IAEA. The system delivery included demonstration of the proposed review strategy and sophisticated more powerful prototype review stations (one each to CEC and IAEA) in both field and headquarters' configurations. The results of the preliminary laboratory and field tests at the developer and user headquarters are summarized in this paper. Operational field tests at user installation sites have been conducted by CEC since December 1994. These successful field tests have validated the Gemini design and implementation. Potential future enhancements designed to broaden the applicability of Gemini to more complex user application applications are also presented.