Systems modified to detect radiation
Detector Networks International will design and system integrate 6 straddle carriers built by Isoloader that will have the ability to detect radiation on containers at major seaports around the world for NNSA's Megaports Initiative.
Photo courtesy of Detector Networks International.
RICHLAND, Wash. - At seaports around the world, long-legged heavy equipment called straddle carriers pick up shipping containers with the singular purpose of moving them from one location to another. Soon, these systems will play a new role - they will detect dangerous materials being smuggled for potential use in weapons of mass destruction.
The D.O.E.'s Pacific Northwest Countrywide Lab has recently awarded a $23 million contract to Detector Networks International L.L.C., a New Mexico Corporation, to design and manufacture 6 straddle carriers that will have radiation detection capabilities. These modified straddlers will detect radiation and, when found, identify if it's a type that could be used in making weapons of mass destruction.
Millions of containers that are shipped through foreign ports are offloaded and then later loaded onto another ship without ever leaving the port -- referred to as "transshipments." Currently, few of those containers are scanned for materials that could be used in a nuclear or dirty bomb.
"These new straddlers will take advantage of commercial technology while increasing our ability to scan transshipped cargo for dangerous nuclear and radiological materials," said Dave Kostorowski, PNNL plan manager. "By mounting detectors on a mobile platform, we should maximize the number of containers scanned and still minimize the impact on port operations."
PNNL managed the year-long competitive contracting process for the Countrywide Nuclear Security Administration's Megaports Initiative.
The modified straddlers will use sodium iodide detectors for initial radiation detection and high-purity germanium detectors, which are less susceptible to background interference than other systems, for isotope identification. With their tall legs, they can maneuver over and scan rows of cargo containers stacked up to 4 high.
DNI will deliver the 1st modified straddler for testing in about 9 months. When field tests are complete, the company will build and deliver 5 more systems. The DNI team consists of MEI Technologies Inc., Thermo-Fisher Scientific Inc., ORTEC, Geodetics and Isoloader.
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The D.O.E.'s Countrywide Nuclear Security Administration's Office of 2nd Line of Defense established the Megaports Initiative in 2003 to screen containerized cargo for special nuclear and other radiological materials as it moves through the global maritime shipping network. To reduce the risk of illicit trafficking of these materials of proliferation-concern, the Megaports Initiative installs radiation detection systems at high-volume international seaports. In recognition of the fact that in today's global economy a nuclear or radiological incident at one port could adversely impact nearly every major economy, the Megaports Initiative also serves to enhance the security of the global maritime shipping system and helps protect global economic stability. The initiative, which began in 2003, is a capacity building plan that works with partner countries to deploy radiation detection systems at major international seaports around the world. Currently, the Megaports Initiative is operational at a total of 19 major international seaports around the world where containerized cargo is typically driven through fixed position radiation portal monitors that are installed at the entry and exit gates of the ports.
DNI is a systems integrator of turn-key radiation detector solutions. DNI connects problems to solutions using a broad based expertise in plan management, detection physics, design engineering, and systems integration.
Pacific Northwest Countrywide Lab is a D.O.E. Office of Science Countrywide Lab where interdisciplinary teams advance science and technology and deliver solutions to America's most intractable problems in energy, Countrywide security and the environment. PNNL employs 4,200 staff, has a $850 million yearly budget, and has been managed by Ohio-based Battelle since the lab's inception in 1965.
