Installation site: Technical platform of the Pic du Midi de Bigorre Observatory (Aerology platform).
Discipline: Alert and permanent monitoring of gamma radioactivity in ambient air.
Domaine de Recherche
The Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), created by Law 2001-398 of 9 May
2001, under the status of a public industrial and commercial establishment (EPIC) is the national public expert on nuclear and radiological risks. The IRSN contributes to public policies on nuclear safety and the protection of health and the environment with regard to ionising radiation. As a research and expert body, it acts in consultation with all stakeholders concerned by these policies, while ensuring its independence of judgment. Its main areas of activity are:
- Nuclear safety: reactors, fuel cycle, waste, medical applications,
- Safety of transport of radioactive and fissile materials,
- Protection of workers, the population and the environment against risks related to ionizing radiation,
- Protection and control of nuclear materials,
- Protection of nuclear installations and transport of radioactive and fissile materials against malicious acts.
Context
Radiological monitoring of the territory is one of the fundamental missions of the IRSN. It aims, on the one hand, to ensure that nuclear activities are carried out in compliance with the imposed discharge rules and, on the other hand, that the territory, in all its components, remains in a healthy and satisfactory radiological state.
To this end, the IRSN develops, operates and maintains a set of radioactivity sampling and measurement stations.
Among these systems, the TELERAY network is distinguished, which makes it possible to obtain the radiological state of the environment in real time and to have a rapid detection capacity for any abnormal radiological situation that may result from a nuclear incident or accident occurring in France or abroad. At the same time, it is also a question of characterizing the radiological evolution of the environment throughout the territory, contributing to the permanent strengthening of the IRSN’s expertise.
Implemented since 1991, the TELERAY network is the national environmental radiological monitoring network dedicated to the health protection of populations and for which the IRSN is a vitally important operator.
It continuously monitors gamma radiation in ambient air. In the event of an incident, its role would be important in helping public authorities optimize interventions and countermeasures as well as informing the public. Located at an altitude of over 2,800 m, the TELERAY beacon at Pic du Midi is an important monitoring point, allowing early detection of the arrival of contaminated air masses located at high altitude from a nuclear accident abroad.
Method and Operation of the installation
In 2011, IRSN renovated the TÉLÉRAY network, focusing on its architecture and technologies on the one hand and on its geographical coverage on the other.
Operating for over twenty years, all of the equipment has been replaced by more recent technologies (proportional counter type detectors, ADSL type transmission and integration of a SCADA type supervision solution). In addition, the monitoring strategy has been strengthened by the densification of monitoring points on a national scale and more particularly, near nuclear installations (see information sheet “Project to modernize the national TELERAY alert network”).
Initially sized at 163 beacons, the TÉLÉRAY network now has over 400 beacons in mainland France and in the DROM-COM.
The Pic du Midi de Bigorre site is one of the monitoring points that has been maintained since the creation of the TELERAY network.
The TELERAY beacon at Pic du Midi de Bigorre is composed of a proportional counter type measuring probe that measures the ambient gamma dose rate in the air in nanosieverts per hour (nSv/h). It is connected to the Observatory’s intranet network and transmits its measurements in real time to the IRSN supervision systems located in Le Vésinet (Yvelines department).
In the event of abnormal measurements being detected, the on-call person is alerted by the supervision system and the mobile communication systems. The first step is to contact the local correspondents in order to obtain information on the surrounding conditions, particularly meteorological conditions. In the event of a confirmed radiological alarm, the information is transmitted to the IRSN on-call engineer who will alert the relevant authorities and public authorities.
In the case of expertise, the IT tools available in Le Vésinet allow the collection and processing of data a posteriori.
The IRSN environmental portals collect and make available to the public the measurement results of the TELERAY network. They are available on the following links:
http://teleray.irsn.fr
http://teleray.irsn.fr/#mappage&ui-state=dialog
Expected results
Detect any abnormal radiological situation, Enrich IRSN’s expertise through continuous measurement on a site located at altitude, Correlate the dose rate measurement with complementary measurements available on the scientific platform.
Laboratories and Partners involved
- IRSN/PRP-ENV/SESURE/LS2A
- Institute for Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety
- Pole Radioprotection – ENVironnement Service for the Study and Monitoring of Radioactivity in the Environment
- Laboratory for Atmospheric Monitoring and Alert
- Telemetry Networks