Application of wireless LAN technology to remote monitoring for inspection equipment

Ishiyama, Koichi ; Kimura, Takashi ; Miura, Yasushi ; Yamaguchi, Katsuhiro*; Kabuki, Toshihide*

To support inspections under an Integrated Safeguards regime into Tokai Reprocessing Plant (TRP), the IAEA suggested making use of Remote Monitoring (RM) capabilities to the inspection equipment (surveillance camera and NDA systems) installed in the spent fuel storage area at TRP. Since the spent fuel storage area in TRP did not have pre-prepared cabling infrastructure for data transmission, the option of wireless LAN was chosen over the telephone line due to its lower installation costs. Feasibility studies and tests were performed by TRP on communication and particularly on long-term continuous communication using wireless LAN equipment (AP: Access Point) and an external antenna for introducing wireless LAN technology to RM. As a result it was recognized that wireless LAN has enough ability to communicate for long periods of time and consequently the IAEA installed AP and an external antenna to each inspection equipment and the wireless LAN technology was applied for RM.