interventions > equipment

cartographie aérienne : HELINUC

Missions

HELINUC® provides services such as :

• gamma radioactivity mapping on extended areas,
• detection and identification of radioelements,
• estimation of radioactivity level on ground,
• detection, localization, identification of isolated sources.

Technical Characteristics

System development : CEA
Carrying airship : Helicopter

> Operating conditions :

• Recommended speed : 22 m/s
• Altitude : 40 metres
• Integration time : 3 seconds
• Gap between profiles : 80 to 100 metres
• On board detector : Na I (16 litres)
• Energy scale : 30 up to 2 800 KeV

General description

HELINUC® is a gamma photons detector system with its associated electronics and computers carried by an ECUREUIL type helicopter. It allows to give a gamma mapping of large contaminated areas.

> Capacity :
The pilot flies over the area to be inspected, respecting a flight plan at a constant speed and altitude. Measurements are recorded during the flight and processed by computer in a second stage at ground level. After the data have been processed, the system plots a coloured map (according to measured activity levels), and at the same time, displays a topographic record of the area, which gives an accurate radiological state of the area. The system has a daily range of several km² (15 km² / 2 hours).

> Sensibility :
From natural to a nuclear accident radioactivity. The mappings are expressed in Bq / m² or Bq for a punctual source.