Use of Virtual Reality technology for radiation visualisation and real-time dose calculation during the remediation at Andreeva Bay in Russia

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1 Template EHPG_paper version Use of Virtual Reality technology for radiation visualisation and real-time dose calculation during the remediation at Andreeva Bay in Russia Niels-Kristian Mark 1, István Szöke, Morten Gustavsen, Espen Nystad Acknowledgement: Joachim Bratteli, Tom-Robert Bryntesen, Svein Tore Edvardsen OECD Halden Reactor Project, VISIT, IFE 1 Niels.Kristian.Mark@hrp.no Victor Kryuchkov 2, Konstantin Chizhov, Ivan Tesnov Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Centre, Russia 2 v_kruchkov@mail.ru Malgorzata K. Sneve Director, Norwegian Radiation Protection Authorities Malgorzata.Sneve@nrpa.no Abstract As part of the Norwegian government s plan for increasing safety at nuclear facilities in Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NMFA) decided in December 2010 to fund a new assistance project for the timeframe at the Andreeva Bay area in Northern Russia. The tittle of the project is Dynamic RadIation Visualisation Engine (DRIVE). The participants are Institute for Energy Technology (IFE) in Norway and Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Centre (FMBC) in Russia. The DRIVE project aims to utilize results and experiences from the existing DOSEMAP and DATAMAP projects done by FMBC by using Virtual Reality (VR) technology developed at IFE to enhance regulatory supervision and safety planning in the Andreeva Bay area. This is planned to be achieved by extending and combining VR based software developed for planning, training and visualisation as part of the OECD Halden Reactor project and in combination with software developed in previous Norwegian assistance projects at Leningrad NPP (LNPP) and Chernobyl NPP (ChNPP). Thereby, the regulator and the operator in the Andreeva Bay premises will get access to powerful tools for use in the optimization of the waste management strategy and for improving radiation safety through better worker radiation awareness. This paper explains the background and the plans for DRIVE in addition to describing the technologies to be developed as part of the project and the expected results. 1. Background In the 1960s two technical bases for the Northern Fleet were created in Northwest Russia at Andreeva Bay in the Kola Peninsula and Gremikha village on the coast of the Barents Sea. These maintained nuclear submarines, receiving and storing radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. No waste has been received after 1985, and the technical bases have since been re-categorised as Sites of Temporary Storage (STS). The STS are operated by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise SevRAO. [1][2] The Norwegian Radiation Protection Authorities (NRPA) has since 1996 carried out a program of regulatory support projects, funded by the NMFA. The objective of the program has been to support the Russian civilian and military regulators, the Federal Medical Biological Authorities of Russia (FMBA) and the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia, as well as the corresponding nuclear and radiation safety authority within the Russian Ministry of Defence by development and implementation of methods and tools for better regulatory supervision of the Andreeva Bay and Gremikha STS for Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) and Radioactive Waste (RW).

2 Putting the SNF and RW into a safe condition is especially hazardous due to their degraded state. Among the problems in managing radiation safety are the abnormal radiological conditions at the STS. The condition of facilities for storage of SNF and RW at Andreeva Bay and Gremikha village creates special difficulties for regulatory supervision [1][2]. In regulatory investigations were completed at the Andreeva Bay and Gremikha within the collaborative NRPA-FMBA program. The radiation and radio-ecological situation was assessed, and criteria and regulations of the STS remediation were developed, as well as the guidance for their application for three possible options of environmental remediation (conservation, conversion and liquidation). As part of the project FMBC, a technical support organisation to FMBA, developed the DOSEMAP and DATAMAP applications for the FMBA, supporting radiation risk monitoring, worker radiation exposure control and deeper understanding of the evolution of the radioactive contamination situation. Taking account of the FMBA s need for further upgrading its capabilities in the area of radiation protection during the STS remediation, the NMFA in December 2010 decided to fund a new project for the timeframe. The tittle of the project is Dynamic RadIation Visualisation Engine (DRIVE). The participants of this project are IFE and FMBC. 2. The scope of the DRIVE project The DRIVE project aims at utilizing results and experiences developed by FMBC in the existing DOSEMAP and DATAMAP projects, by utilising VR tools developed by the Visual Interface Technologies (VISIT) division [3] at IFE to enhance regulatory supervision and safety planning in the Andreeva Bay area. Tools for optimization of the waste management strategy and improving radiation safety through better worker radiation awareness will be created based on technology developed by VISIT both in the OECD Halden Reactor Project as well as for VR based planning and training at LNPP [4][6] and ChNPP [5][6] as part of the NMFA program towards increased safety at nuclear power facilities in Russia, Central, and Eastern Europe. By facilitating improved planning, training and communication, many unwanted incidents may be avoided. Among the planning tools that seek to accomplish this are ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) support tools. VR based ALARA tools have the potential to being useful for minimizing doses but also for improving communication between involved parties, and thus safety. Furthermore, DRIVE will provide the project team with an effective medium for use in presentations to the public as well as for communicating with the management and the licensing authorities. Optimization of the management strategy and improvement of radiation safety requires different software tools. The DRIVE project will produce 3 tools each developed for specific purposes: 1. Andreeva Planner (AP) for simulating work scenarios, with real-time radiation visualization, dose maps and dosimetry for the simulated scenario participants. The AP is planned to be finished in the spring Andreeva Terrain Viewer (ATV) for combining geodetic terrain data with radiological information and visualization, thereby providing wide-area dynamic visualization of the radiation situation in selected areas. The ATV is planned to be finished in the summer 2012.

3 3. Andreeva Procedure Creator and Trainer (APCT) for briefing and training personnel practicing work tasks in a safe virtual environment before actually performing the tasks in real life. The APCT is planned to be finished in the autumn At the end of the project there will be a validation and verification of the DRIVE tools in order to optimise the tools and define future needs. This will take place in the spring The software tools to be developed in the DRIVE project will be based on VR, i.e. real-time visualisation and dosimetry, and allow for interactive walk-through scenarios in a safe virtual environment. Virtual scenarios will be easy to compose by inserting representations of real-world objects into the virtual environment. In addition, it will be possible to supply the virtual environment with distribution of radiation dose, supporting both measurements as well as calculations based on radiological information. Various ways of radiation visualisation will be available to the user and information on the actual dose rates as well as the accumulated doses of personnel will be supplied. The data for the radiation visualisation and calculation will be extracted from the databases in the DOSEMAP and DATAMAP software previously developed the by FMBC. 3. Input and data from DOSEMAP and DATAMAP to the DRIVE project In , as part of the previous cooperation program with NRPA, specialists from FMBC carried out examination of the radiation situation at Andreeva Bay. The measurements showed external gamma dose rate levels that are tens or hundreds of times greater than those typical for nuclear facilities. The calculated acceptable work duration of the personnel within the buildings is very limited, based on the regulations controlling effective dose to workers. According to international practice, when solving problems relating to radiation safety assurance under such conditions, the remediation process is subdivided into technological stages, where each consecutive stage takes into account the experience obtained in the previous stage. The main objective of each stage of implementation is to reduce risk gradually, both for workers and the public. [7] For supporting the radiation risk estimation, control of radiation burden of the worker and for providing a deeper understanding of the evolution of the radioactive contamination, FMBC developed the DOSEMAP and DATAMAP applications for the FMBA. 3.1 DOSEMAP for optimization of the occupational radiological protection The objective of DOSEMAP was to develop tools for use in optimization of the occupational radiological protection during SNF removal, RW treatment and remediation of SevRAO Facility-1 site taking into account special features of its implementation, under existing conditions and following the relevant international recommendations and guidance. The result of the DOSEMAP project was the development of databases required by regulatory bodies in the course of their review of operations that may pose a radiation hazard, both during the planning and implementation of the operations. These databases created for use by the regulatory bodies in their review of both the implementation of the design solutions during construction and operation of the new combines at

4 SevRAO Facility-1 at Andreeva Bay, and the operations, involving possible radiation hazard, planned for the management of RW and SNF. The databases are also available to the operator of the Andreeva Bay area, SevRAO, for planning and implementing hazardous operations. This is the base of assurance and optimization of the radiation protection of the personnel during SNF and RW management [7]. 3.2 DATAMAP for visualization of distribution of the radio-ecological parameters The objective of the DATAMAP project was to integrate all radio-ecological data concerning STS in Andreeva Bay by means of a complex Geographical Information System (GIS), intended for visualization and analysis of dynamics of space-time distribution of radio-ecological parameters. The use of GIS was necessary to support FMBA in making decisions during remedial operations at the STS area. Such decisions concern the type and timing of implementation of methods for control and/or removal of radioactive contamination as well as decisions on waste disposal at Andreeva Bay. The DATAMAP GIS consists of a software system with database and geographical maps of the STS in Andreeva Bay. It also includes data of radio-ecological measurements with coordinate relations between sampling (and/or measurement) points and the mapping database on the landscape, hydrogeology and geochemistry relating to the mapping base [7]. 4. The DRIVE software tools The DRIVE software tools will be based on VR technology developed by VISIT and exchange data with FMBC s DOSEMAP and DATAMAP applications. VR is a way of visualising, interacting with and navigating through an environment described by a 3D computer model. VR technology is useful for planning, training and presentation because it offers a realistic way of simulating in real-time the real world in 3D, with the potential for direct user interaction and system feedback. In addition, VR enables users to see objects or phenomena that are normally invisible, such as ionising radiation. VISIT has been performing research and development related to practical applications of VR since 1996, and has gained high expertise in these fields within the nuclear industry. These research and development activities have been connected to commercial projects for the nuclear industry and the OECD Halden Reactor Project. The efforts were connected to a wide range of different nuclear facilities with particular emphasis on NPP-s. The tools elaborated are customised for the different stages nuclear facilities go through during their lifecycle, e.g. design, operation, maintenance and finally decommissioning [3][6]. Today VISIT has a number of applications such as the Halden Planner and the more advanced VRdose [6] for optimization of the waste management strategy and improving radiation safety through better worker radiation awareness. These tools form the basis for the DRIVE applications. 4.1 The Andreeva Planner (AP) The Andreeva Planner (AP) will be a desktop 3D tool for simulating work scenarios, with radiation visualization and dose-rate charts in addition to dosimetry for scenario participants. The AP will be based on the Halden Planner developed in the OECD Halden Reactor Project in combination with

5 the generic planning and training software developed by VISIT as part of the NMFA assistance projects for LNPP and ChNPP. In parallel with the DRIVE project, VISIT is currently evaluating the Halden Planner together with the experts from Danish Decommissioning as part of the research in the OECD Halden Reactor Project and is planning to release the next version of the Halden Planner in the autumn Work task planning, presentation and evaluation The AP will be a software suite for planning and learning from interventions in complex nuclear environments suitable for modelling radiological conditions, plan a sequence of activities in the modelled environment, and produce work plan reports with dose-estimates. After a job has been carried out, the software could be used as an aid to producing a post-work review report, with the possibility to refine the dosimetric model to improve the accuracy of estimates. The software will also provide support for presenting information to different types of users for briefing and decisionmaking, as an aid to communication between stakeholders in an intervention Evaluation of work scenarios with radiation visualisation and dosimetry A key feature of the AP will be support for real-time calculation of shielding effects, doses, and relative contributions to dose by different isotopes enabling the rapid evaluation of different scenarios. To support the user in interpreting the results of the calculations, the software will provide charts, graphs, and 3D radiation visualisation that are updated dynamically to reflect any changes to the modelled exposure conditions, such as changing shielding materials and human activities etc. It is intended to support users in carrying out existing work planning procedures Visualisation of measured dose rates and radioactive sources The AP will support real-time visualization of measured dose rates based on interpolation algorithms. Provided that the location and characteristics (i.e. type of isotopes and their activity) of radiation sources are known, AP will be able to calculate dose rates real-time, quantify the contribution from various radioisotopes and take into account the effects scattering and attenuating effect of the object and air within the modelled scene. Given the knowledge of activities of specific isotopes (if available), the future radiation situation can also be predicted by taking into account the half-lives of the isotopes User characteristics The software is aimed at three main classes of end-user: Radiation Protection experts involved in radiation shielding design should use the software to model radiological conditions, optimise placement of shielding to support work in specific areas of a nuclear facility, and evaluate the radiological consequences of the radiation generated by radioactive material in a nuclear facility over time. Engineering should use the software to produce pre-job work plans with descriptions of activities and estimated durations. Use the software to optimise routes, work locations and waiting locations. Provide feedback to Radiation Protection if necessary. Also use the software to support the production of post-work experience review reports. Instructors training personnel doing work involving radiation hazard should use the software to communicate radiological conditions or a job description to staff or students. Instructors may have either (or both) a work planning or radiation protection background.

6 Radiation Protection and Engineering staff would normally collaborate to agree on the area in which work will take place and optimise the positioning of shielding Operational environment Users will typically operate the software on a personal computer with a single display, but it may also be used on a large screen projection system for instructional or briefing purposes. Also stereoscopic view will be supported. Data typically imported from files and/or exchanged with a database such as DOSEMAP will include: Detailed 3D geometry imported from CAD software using the VRML97 format to visualise the environment Isotopic characterisation of sources (historical data, recent surveys, etc.) Dose maps (if an external dose modelling system is used to produce dose maps) Simplified 3D geometry for inclusion in shielding effects calculations Actual environmental dosimetry Actual trajectories of workers The software will provide output data for: Scenarios with activities and trajectories that can be replayed as animations Dose graphs per worker or virtual personal dosimeter in a scenario Pre-job work description reports with a description of a scenario and the associated dose predictions Post-job experience review report given that entering of real measurements made while a planned job described in a scenario is actually carried out. Most information will be imported from files, entered interactively through direct manipulation of 2D user interface components or 3D objects using a mouse, or filling in forms with a keyboard. The user will be supported in decision-making and evaluation of alternative scenarios through 2D charts and graphs and 3D plots describing the exposure conditions in the scene. Data entered will be stored in a database in AP and subsequent planning activities will thus be able to use radiological conditions modelled previously, or expected as the result of planned work that is scheduled, as the starting point for planning further activities. Historical data for jobs that have been completed will be available for use by instructors to support the training of staff, learning from past experience, while team leaders will be able to brief workers on planned activities. The combination of graphs, 3D visualisation, and animation of planned work sequences should be a powerful communication aid.

7 Figure 1. Example of real-time radiation visualisation and dosimetric information display (including shielding) for two manikins in the Halden Planner 4.2 The Andreeva Terrain Viewer (ATV) The Andreeva Terrain Viewer (ATV) will combine geodetic terrain data with radiological information, thereby providing wide-area dynamic visualization of the radiation situation in selected areas. From the last quarter of the 20th century, several methods for visualizing large terrains on a computer have been developed. Even though researchers and the Geographic Information System (GIS) business have worked with developing and improving virtual terrain visualisation for such a long time, and still do, the interest amongst the general population and industry has not increased before the latter years. The increased interest is popularized by virtual globe applications such as Google Earth and Nasa Worldwind. The ATV will be a cross platform software tool that will have many of the same attributes, and use some of the same the geodetic data as these popular applications in order to be able to visualize large virtual terrains of selected areas, but will combine them with different dynamic radiation visualisations based on radiological information with high fidelity from the DATAMAP project. If one consider the area around a nuclear site, a wide-area 3D model combined with radiological information can be used for example to plan new construction and other operations around the existing site, checking access routes for personnel and vehicles, or in extreme cases, like Fukushima, to aid in the site clean-up and remediation. In particular, emergency plans can be visualized and simulated, and be used to brief emergency services, such as fire fighters and other personnel that are not as familiar with the site as the permanent staff. The ability to combine the techniques demonstrated by virtual terrain software with high fidelity radiation visualization based on data from the DATAMAP project, and combine them with functionality in the existing AP, will enable one to create more dynamic visualisations and simulations than is possible using tools like Google Earth directly. 4.3 The Andreeva Procedure Creator and Trainer (APCT) The Andreeva Procedure Creator and Trainer (APCT) will be used for detailed briefing and training personnel by practicing work tasks in a safe virtual environment before actually executing the

8 tasks. This could lead to reduced work times as well as reduced worker exposure and overall doses. The APCT will be based on the Simulation Editor application, developed in the OECD Halden Reactor Project in combination with the generic training software called LNPP PCT created by VISIT in the NMFA assistance project at LNPP The usefulness of VR in training Human errors may have significant impact on radiation safety in nuclear facilities, productivity, and operation. The complexity of handling SNF and managing RW means that the personnel need to have good knowledge and skills regarding the correct procedures. The planning and training should help the trainees get familiarized with procedures, equipment, steps, coordination, inspections, and safety concerns. Intensive briefing and training, before the real operation takes place, could be effective for reducing radiation dose, workload and enhance safety. VR is an interesting technology for training because it enables trainees to learn by actually performing a task rather than reading about it or passively watching a video, or getting instructions in a classroom. That is, VR offers the potential for active training. Thereby the trainees can improve their skills and understanding of a system practice. In addition, VR enables users to see things that are actually invisible, such as ionising radiation. The VR technology is particularly suited to training situations where practical and spatial skills are important User characteristics The software is aimed at two main classes of end-users: The instructor implements the scenario to be trained by encoding the procedural information about the 3D models and define a training session that can be taken by the trainee. After the session the instructor will be able to analyse a log for each trainee in order to verify the result of the training. One or multiple trainees will be able to train on the predefined work procedure developed by the instructor. Collaborative training allows real-time cooperation between the trainees when performing a task. The instructor should normally collaborate with radiation protection and engineering staff to agree on the right procedure to train Operational environment Users will typically operate the software on a personal computer with a single display, but it can also be used on a large screen projection system for instructional or briefing purposes. Also stereoscopic view will be supported. The APCT can be used by groups of people or individuals, either alone or in a classroom context. APCT will support both unguided (by the computer) simulation-based training, which would normally be done together with an instructor, and pre-authored computer-based training, where the trainees are guided by the software. The APCT will have a potentially powerful user interface, providing both static and dynamic information. The information presented will consist of data that will be available to the trainee in the

9 real world and additional data, which is unavailable for the worker in the real environment, for assisting the trainee in order to make the training more effective. The instructor will be able to record a procedure by setting the order and type of consecutive actions and defining how the trainee should interact. The steps in the procedure will be recorded by the system when the instructor manipulates the 3D models in the APCT. The recording includes the documentation explaining the trainee what to do at each step. The procedural documentation available to the trainee can be the existing printed description of the process, which is the basis for the procedure to be trained. It describes each step in the procedure; i.e. the content of the procedural documentation tells the trainee which step to do next and how. Figure 2. Example of the user interface available to the instructor in the Simulation Editor when setting up a training scenario In addition links to detailed technical data about the objects or process will be provided. The instructor adds this information to the scenario while implementing the procedure. APCT will be able to visualise the actual radiation by means of dose maps. The visualisation will be based on measurement data or sources. The data typically will be imported and/or exchanged with a database such as DOSEMAP. Further information and visualisation of physical risks, both visible and non-visible ones, including risks that may result in personnel injury, damage to the equipment or to the environment can be added to the scenario by the instructor and shown to the trainee during training. In addition, it will be possible to add effects that may function as a pedagogical mean and thereby improve the result of the training; e.g. by highlighting the 3D object, which the trainee is supposed to select next. The APCT will support different types of training:

10 1. Introductory demonstration to brief or familiarize new employees and visitors with the tasks. This provides familiarization, but does not train workers on how to do the task. 2. Procedural training where the trainees learn the procedure step by step. The trainee first sees a VR based demonstration of the task, and then the trainee gradually assumes more and more control and eventually does the procedure by himself. This training will offer varying levels of guidance, from a mode where the trainee simply watches the procedure to actually doing the entire procedure. Free exploration will also be an option (e.g., build assembly knowledge). 3. Instructor-led training where the intent is to present the scenario by showing a 3D model of the scene and procedural information on a large-screen display. This model includes the sequence of the procedure to practice so the instructor can show and discuss with the trainees or others how the work has to be done. The instructor will be able to navigate in the scene, selecting individual objects for more information, and to go through the planned procedure step by step. New trainees may first take the introductory training and then the procedural training while experienced staff may take the procedural training directly. The instructor-led training can be used for classroom training or preparation meetings discussing a procedure with a group of people. APCT will log the actions taken by the trainee. This includes actions that are blocked by the system since they are not according to the procedure. In addition, the APCT will log whenever the trainee asks for assistance from the system in order to fulfil a step. After the training, the instructor will be able to analyse the log for each trainee as part of the evaluation of the training effectiveness. 5. Summary As part of the Norwegian government plan for increasing safety at nuclear facilities in Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, the NMFA funds a new assistance project for the timeframe at the Andreeva Bay area in the Northern Russia. The project should give the regulator and the operator in the Andreeva Bay premises access to tools for use in the optimization of the waste management strategy and for improving radiation safety through better worker radiation awareness. The tittle of the project is Dynamic RadIation Visualisation Engine (DRIVE). The participants are IFE in Norway and FMBC in Russia. The DRIVE project will utilize results and experiences from the existing and continued DOSEMAP and DATAMAP projects done by FMBC in combination with the VR technology developed by IFE. DRIVE applications will be based on VR software developed by IFE for planning, training and presentation as part of the OECD Halden Reactor project and also on software developed in previous Norwegian assistance projects at LNPP and ChNPP. There will be three applications: 1. Andreeva Planner (AP) for simulating work scenarios, with radiation visualization, dose-rate charts and dosimetry for scenario participants. The AP will be based on the Halden Planner and will be finished in the spring Andreeva Terrain Viewer (ATV) for combining geodetic terrain data with radiological information and visualization, thereby providing wide-area dynamic visualization of the radiation situation in selected areas. The ATV will be finished in the summer Andreeva Procedure Creator and Trainer (APCT) for briefing and training personnel practicing work tasks in a safe virtual environment before actually doing the tasks in real life. The APCT will be based on the Simulation Editor developed in OECD Halden Reactor Project and on the LNPP PCT developed for LNPP. The APCT will be finished in the autumn 2012.

11 At the end of the project there will be a validation and verification of the DRIVE tools and their use in order to optimise the tools and define future needs. This will take place in the spring References [1] M. K. Sneve, International Collaboration on Regulatory Supervision, Nucleus No. 48, [2] N.K. Shandala, M. K. Sneve et al., Regulatory supervision of sites for spent fuel and radioactive waste storage in the Russian Northwest, Journal of Radiological Protection 28 (2008) , IOP Publishing [3] Link to the VISIT division at IFE: [4] [5] [6] T. Johnsen, N-K Mark, Virtual and augmented reality in the nuclear plant lifecycle perspective, Nuclear Safety and Simulation, Vol. 1, Number 2, p , June 2010, [7] M. K. Sneve et al., Progress Report on the Regulatory Cooperation Program between the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority and the Federal Medical Biological Agency of Russia, Strålevernrapport 2011:7, Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, 2011.