Development of a special nuclear materials monitoring sensor pack for Project Straight-Line

With the end of the Cold War and the accelerated dismantlement of nuclear weapons, the nuclear material inventory of the United States is growing. In addition, the United States has offered these excess weapons-grade nuclear material assets for international inspections with the intent of encouraging reciprocal action by other nations. In support of this policy, Sandia National Laboratories has initiated a pilot effort (Project Straight-Line) to develop a flexible, site-independent system to continuously and remotely monitor stored nuclear material and integrate the collection, processing, and dissemination of information regarding this material to ensure that declared nuclear materials placed in storage remain in place, unaltered, and stable. As part of this effort, a +3.6V battery powered, modular sensor pack has been developed to monitor total radiation dose, radiation dose rate, and the temperature of each nuclear material container and to provide this information using a standardized sensor interface. This paper will discuss the development of the sensors, the engineering and production of the sensor pack units, and their installation and operation at sites in New Mexico, California, and the Pantex plant in Amarillo