Radiation Safety Compliance

Adelphi has deployed more than a hundred generators world wide (to every continent except for Antarctica). Users need to comply with their local regulations and Adelphi is very familiar with guiding customers through their regulatory approval process. In our experience the regulations are essentially the same across the globe. To summarize:

• D-D generators are typically registered as a radiation producing machines (as is true for an X-ray machine in a dentists office).
• D-T generators are listed as radiation producing machines, and the tritium that they contain is usually then added to your organization’s Radio-Active Materials (RAM) license.

Monitoring of radiation is achieved using Geiger tubes (for X-rays) and Bonner Balls (for neutrons), and regulations typically stipulate the these detectors are maintained ‘in calibration’. The dose rates to humans can then be engineered to be below the required limits to either the general public (lower doses) or monitored radiation workers (permits higher doses). The guiding principle being to maintain exposure to levels that are “As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALRAR)”, (https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/radiation/protects-you/protection-principles.html, https://www.osha.gov/ionizing-radiation/control-prevention) and this is performed via “Time”, “Distance” and “Shielding”. “Time” is achieved by restricting hours of operation, “Distance” is achieved by restricting access (‘roping off areas’) and “Shielding” is performed by placing radiation absorbing materials between the generator and any humans. The lower yield (10^8 n/s D-D) generators require minimal shielding (just a few inches of plastic). The high yield (10^10 n/s generators) are typically sited in a radiation vault facility. Adelphi can provide custom shielding, which is usually highly specific to the application and the particular generator that is used, as well as the details of the customer’s facility. Adelphi can model the radiation fields using radiation transport codes (mcnp or Geant4), or can advise our customers how to perform their own modelling. Adelphi can also fabricate shielding.

Adelphi’s Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) would be happy to guide you through your process and advise you for your specific needs.