Award Date

1-1-1999

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Mechanical Engineering

First Committee Member

William Culbreth

Number of Pages

102

Abstract

The assessment and cleanup of various nuclear sites throughout the country has become an increasingly important issue. Methods for assessment of radioactive material within pipe and duct systems at these sites must be cost effective, efficient, and safe. Several tests were conducted at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, using both steel and aluminum pipes with a Cesium 137 source placed inside. A Geiger-Muller pancake detector was used to measure gamma rays from several angular positions and at various axial distances along the outside of the pipe. A plot of the data showed excellent results despite the low efficiency of the detector. The data was run through an algorithm to determine the optimum predicted source strength and axial position. Results were again excellent and showed errors of as little as 28% off from the known value. Based on these results, it seems possible that contamination within pipes for more complicated geometries is possible with reasonably accurate predictions of the contaminant radioactivity and distribution within the pipe.

Keywords

Assessment; Enclosed; Intrusive; Pipes; Radionuclides; Vessels

Controlled Subject

Nuclear engineering; Mechanical engineering

File Format

pdf

File Size

2211.84 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

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