poCAMon

PERSONAL ONLINE CONTINUOUS AIR MONITOR

The poCAMon (personal online continuous air monitor)combines a very compact design with a high flow rate and long battery life. Its size and weight are still acceptable for carrying by one person.

The unit measures long-lived aerosols (alpha and beta) as well as short-lived Radon daughters by alpha spectroscopy and beta gross counting. The instrument detects if only natural Uranium aerosols are present in the atmosphere. Especially for mining companies we offer a version with integrated sensors for carbon monoxide and combustible gases. The instrument will be automatically disconnected from power if 20% of the lower explosion limit is detected. The radioactive aerosols and particles are collected on the surface of a high resolution membrane filter. The alpha and beta decays on the filter are measured by a highend
semiconductor radiation detector (400 mm²). This allows a perfect separation of the different decay products.

The high pump rate of 3Lpm is suitable for low detection limits. The low noise rotary van pump is processor controlled and guarantees a constant flow rate over the hole measuring time. A sensor measures permanently the pressure drop on the filter in order to recognize an exhausted or perforated filter instantly.

With the 3.8 Ah NiMH battery pack the poCAMon achieves an operation time of more than 30 hours. The battery voltage is monitored and generates an alert if it is lower than an adjustable threshold. The powerful charger recharges the unit within two hours.

A bright alpha numeric display and the simplified keypad (three buttons) allow the operation even under harsh conditions.

The quality control is a main issue of any radiation measurement. Therefore the poCAMon records a complete alpha spectrum for each measured value. This allows the monitoring of the device’s perfect operation in each moment of the measurement.

All measured data are stored in a 2GB memory card and can be accessed with a PC or laptop via a USB interface. Data transmission and device control can also be done via a ZigBee adapter (Net Monitors) or via a server for stationary operation with network access. A barometric pressure sensor and a GPS receiver are optional features of the device.

poCAMon – Technical Data

Aerosol sampling head
Fixed on the top of the poCAMon

Detector
400mm² ion-implanted silicon detector

Filter

• Membrane type filter, d=26mm, 3µm pore size,
• neoprene sealing for 100% tightness
• Active filter monitoring against perforation, exhaustion
• No tool for filter replacement required
• One month operation in “normal” environment

Pump
Rotary vane type 3l/min, processor controlled

Noise emission
48dBA/55dBA in 1m/0.3m distance

Range
0 … 1MBq/m³ (EEC)

Sensitivity
0.4cpm/DACh (Pu) or 2cpm/(Bqh/m³)
2.2cpm/(Bq/m³) for Radon daughters (EEC)

Detection limit
The limits are given for the most radio-toxic nuclides Pu-239 and Sr-90 (without Y-90).

Results/Analysis

• Long-lived Alpha/Beta aerosols (Alpha Exposition, Alpha Dose, Beta
• Exposition, Beta Dose), detects if only natural Uranium is present, EEC for both Radon and Thoron daughter products
• Storage of record related spectra and time distribution

Alerts

• Dose (red flashing LED and buzzer)
• Exposure (red flashing LED and buzzer)
• High count rate (red flashing LED and buzzer)
• Filter exhausted (yellow flashing LED),
• Low battery (yellow light)
• Increased gas concentration (with gas sensor option)
• Defective gas sensor (with gas sensor option)

Additional sensors

Standard
Flow rate 0 … 4l/min, uncertainty ± 5%

Air analytics (option)
CO and combustible gases, several measurement ranges available

General Information

Sampling
Simultaneous measurement with all detectors/sensors with respect to the selected sampling cycle

Sampling cycles

• Storage of up to 16 different sampling cycles with up to 32 steps (pre-defined or infinite repetition)
• Measurement interval 1 second to several weeks

Data memory SD card, 2 GByte
Controlling Three buttons and bright alpha numeric display Interface: USB, optionally wireless net monitors and network access

Power supply
Internal 12V/3.8Ah NiMH battery pack (industry standard) or AC/DC adapter/charger

Dimensions/weight
106mm x 56mm x 200mm / 1.3kg

• Software
  dVISION: control and data transfer (also via net monitors (optional)), visualization, data management
• dCONFIG: system configuration, creating/changing cycles (also via net monitors (optional))
• dSERVER: network access (optional)

GPS (optional) GPS coordinates are recorded and stored together with the measurement results, GIS compatible *.kml files can be exported (can be opened by Google-Earth)

Accessories

• Standard Mains power adapter
• USB transfer cable
• Optional Harness for comfortable carrying