High Exposure Facility Source Rotation

Device: Radioactive Source Manipulator

In February, 2005 the need arose to rotate 5 radioactive sealed sources that reside in the 318 Building High Exposure Facility. This facility consists of a collimated irradiator capable of generating up to 50,000 R/h that is used for high-range radiation detection instrument calibration and for irradiating a variety of other items.

Because of the exposure rates involved, everything had to be done remotely. The parts of the device are clear to allow remote observation by closed circuit video system.

The cylindrical sources were raised pneumatically into the device shown below, and then dropped back into shielded storage once rotated (swapped end for end).

Project Contact: G. Carter