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Fast,
Portable Characterization System, Integrating Time-Domain Electromagnetic
with Induced and Natural Field Magnetic Measurements--Multi-Phase
Technologies, LLC,
310 Rebecca Drive,
Dr.
Douglas Labrecque, Principal Investigator, dlabrecque@mpt3d.com
Mrs.
Marjorie LaBrecque, Business Official, mlabrec913@yahoo.com
DOE
Grant No. DE-FG02-04ER84012
Amount:
$99,902
The
United States Department of Energy has estimated that from the 1940s through the
1970s, 126,000 cubic meters of transuranic wastes were disposed of by shallow
burial and other techniques at sites owned and operated by the federal
government. The excavation and
retrieval of the transuranic and mixed waste are time-consuming and expensive.
Improved imaging technologies are needed to provide better resolution and
improved characterization of buried wastes and buried waste containers.
This project will combine state-of-the-art magnetic field sensors with
fast, high-resolution data acquisition technology to create a flexible, portable
system for container characterization. Time-domain
electromagnetic measurements, natural field magnetic gradient measurements, and
induced-magnetic field measurements will be combined into a single portable
instrument. Phase I will build a
prototype instrument that uses the magnetometers both as natural field sensors
and as receivers for the time-domain electromagnetic instrument.
The ability to detect and characterize subsurface targets under practical
field conditions will be determined. The
instrument will then be optimized for field use.
Commercial
Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee:
The improved characterization of transuranic waste sites should see
extensive use at DOE, DoD, and commercial sites.
The technology should improve the imaging and identification of
subsurface containers and associated hazards, thus improving safety and reducing
remediation costs.