Year
1997
Abstract
One of the results of the Programme ‘93+2 of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the requirement to increase the efficiency of IAEA safeguards without loss of safeguards effectiveness. Accordingly, the Agency’s Safeguards Research & Development and Implementation Programme focuses, among others, on unattended integrated safeguards systems. The sensors installed on site have to be customized with built-in intelligence to be able to meet typical safeguards requirements for authentication, encryption and uninterrupted local data storage, whereas the transmission channels and data processing, collection, and archiving systems can be industrial mainstream products (i.e. commercial-off-the-shelf: C.O.T.S.). The proposal is to implement smart sensors of the highest possible level of reliability based on digital technology, residing in sealed and tamper resistant housings and featuring data acquisition, authentication, encryption, storage, and transmission. For containment and surveillance (C/S) such sensors exist, like for example, the digital camera module DCM14 and the VACOSS-S electronic seal, both developed under the German Support Programme to the IAEA. For non-destructive assay (NDA) purposes such equipment, compatible with the digital C/S sensors, needs to be developed. This approach allows to save on equipment and follow-up costs, as 'cheap' C.O.T.S. equipment can be implemented to a greater extent than presently, in both, unattended as well as remote monitoring applications. The paper describes possibilities on how the safeguards procedures could be changed to minimize the on-site effort for IAEA staff for system operation, maintenance and repair (e.g. data retrieval, spare parts replacement) by the involvement of subcontractors. This approach should be implemented to a greater extent than presently.