Michigan spin-off H3D goes nuclear

At least four US nuclear power plants are using versions of a handheld radiation camera camera that is commercially available through the University of Michigan spin-off company H3D.

The handheld radiation detector, branded the Polaris-H, was developed by University of Michigan engineering researchers and is now offering nuclear plant operators a faster way to find potentially dangerous hot spots and leaky fuel rods. The detector works by laying a gamma-ray map over an image of a room, pinpointing radiation sources with unprecedented precision, according to radiation protection managers at nuclear power plants in the US using prototypes of the device.

“This technology enables people to ‘see’ radiation,” said Zhong He, a professor of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences at U-M and Chief Executive Officer of H3D. “This should enable the early detection of leaks by locating abnormal radiation, a much better understanding of radiation sources to protect workers, and it could be a tool for the clean-up effort of nuclear waste and fallout, such as in Fukushima in Japan.”

“We can find things now in 30 minutes that could take weeks to find before,” said Robert Hite, radiation protection manager at the Cook Nuclear Plant near St. Joseph, Michigan, and early adopter of Polaris-H. “All of our technology that we have—that I’ve worked with for 30 years—doesn’t touch what this shows us.”

Also, in the event of an accident, an imager could monitor radiation plumes and point out contaminated areas.

A 15-foot cord connects the detector and an external touchscreen controller so the operator can give commands and download data remotely. The camera stores radiation detection data on a USB drive that operators can transfer to a computer for in-depth analysis.

While traditional imagers cost upwards of $200,000, the new cameras are priced below $100,000. The company began marketing efforts in 2013 and has so far already taken orders. For example, prototype models are in use at the Cook plant and South Korea’s Institute for Basic Science in Daejeon. Based on feedback from these users over the past year, the team made it possible to operate the camera using a simple red button to start and end measurements.

In addition to the nuclear plants, NASA and the Department of Defense are also using the detectors. The device can also be used to track down shipments in instances of illegal smuggling of nuclear radioactive materials, which was the product’s initial commercial intentions.

Five of He’s former graduate students make up the majority of H3D’s staff.