Byron had an issue with an ARGOS Zeus unit in the main exit area of the RCA. Background gamma radiation from a line in the overhead was shining down and causing false alarms on the gamma detectors to the point of making the unit inoperable. Due to the position of the Argos unit it was identified that shielding of just two sides of the unit would be able to reduce the background gamma radiation, and in turn eliminate the false alarms causing the unit to be inoperable.
In this location there was not enough room to put traditional lead racks which can get in the way and are very unsightly for inspections. Fortunately, the outside of the ARGOS booth is carbon steel, making it perfect for magnetic T-Flex shielding. NPO manufactured several easy to install T-Flex Bismuth tiles, one of which featured a cutout. These tiles shielded the outside Argos unit, and by extension, the subsequent units, from the background radiation. The detector count dropped by up to 40,000 to 50,000 cpm after installation and brought the outside unit back into service after being out for over a year due to false alarms caused by elevated gamma background radiation.
NPO estimated that dose would be reduced by 24% by using the 0.5” (13 mm) thick T-Flex Bismuth tiles, and that’s exactly what Byron achieved.
