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CombiningCRandSCARtoMinimize
DowntimeandMaximizeResults

SteveJelfsSENTINEL/QSAGlobal,Inc.

Introduction

Todays environment demands inspections that maintain environmental and personnel safety while maximizing
productivity. When gamma radiography is required, the safety aspects of conventional inspections often require
shutting down entire sections of the facility under inspection, or demand that inspections be performed outside
regular work hours. Neither of these options is economically sound - either for the service provider or the facility
owner.

SCAR (Small Controlled Area Radiography) products and techniques effectively confine radiation to the subject
under inspection, dramatically reducing the dose rate in the surrounding area.

And recent advances in digital computed radiography (CR) allow weld-quality images to be captured using low dose
exposures.

Combining these techniques offers a viable solution which addresses both safety and monetary concerns. By
significantly reducing controlled area requirements, and using CR to maintain image quality, this permits
inspections to be performed without impacting the productivity of the surrounding facility.

ConventionalRadiography

Conventional radiography often uses gamma isotopes and photographic film to capture images of the inspection
subject. Gamma isotopes require heavy transportation and exposure devices, and are typically exposed to the area of
interest using mechanical controls and long guide tubes. Because photographic film can require a large dose of
radiation to achieve the required optical density, a high activity gamma source may be employed to keep exposure
times at manageable levels.

Current safety standards dictate a restricted area around the inspection that that varies from country to country. In
the USA this boundary is at the equivalent of 2mR (milli-RADS) in any one hour. No non-radiation workers or
members of the public are permitted inside this controlled area, which must be actively policed by the radiographer.

Figure 1 illustrates a typical gamma
radiography inspection, and shows the
sources of radiation and the exclusion
zone that must be maintained.

One point to note is the flash or
transitional radiation dose that occurs as
the isotope moves down the guide tube to
its exposure position. This flash dose can
potentially interfere with refinery fire
suppression systems which may need to
be disabled prior to undertaking the
Figure1.
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inspection a situation that should be avoided if at all possible. After being exposed, photographic film must be
developed. This requires a darkroom equipped with processing equipment and chemicals, which must be purchased,
stored, replenished and ultimately disposed of as hazardous material.

WhatisSCAR?

SCAR (Small Controlled Area Radiography) aims to reduce the zone of influence during the inspection, and thus to
minimize disruption of other activities close to the inspection target. SCAR uses a combination of techniques
including specially-designed exposure devices, innovative shielding techniques and materials, and lower-activity
isotopes.

A typical SCAR exposure device acts as an isotope storage and shipping container, and also as a collimator during
exposure. One important feature to note is that the isotope source never leaves the device, eliminating the flash dose
mentioned above. The source travels a very short distance from its storage position to the exposure position, which
is inside a collimator built into the exposure device.

The 959 SCAR device depicted in Figure 2 is
capable of holding up to 81ci of Se-75, or 15ci of
IR-192. It weights just 41lb (18.6kg), and has
attachment points for mounting hardware that
allow it to be easily positioned during inspections.
An even smaller SCAR device is available,
weighing in at only 16lbs (7.3kg), and capable of
holding Se-75 sources up to 20ci activity.

As an example of the smaller controlled area using
SCAR techniques, consider the following: using a
20ci Se-75 source with a conventional camera and
uncollimated guide tube, the restricted area
(2mR/hr) boundary is 148ft from the source. Using
a 989 baby SCAR device with a 20ci Se-75 source
and typical SCAR technique shielding, we
measured the 2mR boundary at




20ft from the device. Informal tests showed that this
distance could be further reduced with additional
shielding, down to as low as 10ft if required. Figure 3
illustrates the exclusion zone differences between
conventional radiography and SCAR.

One result of this much reduced exclusion zone is that
nearby activities can continue uninterrupted during
gamma radiography, permitting inspections to be carried
out 24/7, saving significant time and reducing costs.

For all the advantages of SCAR, the lower activity
sources used can mean increased shot times. This
problem can potentially be mitigated by using digital
computed radiography (CR) in place of conventional
film radiography.

Figure2.
Figure3.
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FilmRadiographyConsiderations

Conventional film radiography typically requires that film be exposed to an optical density (OD) of 2.0 or above.
Depending on the type and speed of film used, this can require a 2R 3R (RADS) radiation dose on the film. This
high level dose requirement compounds the exposure time problem when film is used with the lower activity sources
typical of SCAR.

In addition to this, the requirement for darkroom use, time taken for film processing, and the ongoing expense of
film and chemicals can negate some of the benefits derived from SCAR.

ComputedRadiography(CR)

Computed radiography systems use flexible Phosphor Storage Plates (PSP) instead of film to capture the
radiographic images. These PSPs are sensitive to gamma and X-ray photons, and hold a latent image after
exposure. The exposed plates are then passed through a scanner which reads the information and generates a
computer image which can be viewed and evaluated on a monitor. The PSP is erased after scanning and is
immediately ready for reuse.

Figure 4 illustrates the general operation of a CR system. Trapped electrons are liberated from the exposed PSP by
the laser, and the resulting scintillations are collected and amplified by the photomultiplier tube (PMT). The degree
of amplification is controlled by a voltage input to the PMT, and the resulting output signal is converted to digital
format and sent to the computer.

Some of the advantages of CR over conventional film
radiography include the sensitivity of the PSPs, which
typically require a lower radiation dose than
photographic film. Depending on the application, and
the chosen PSP type, doses from 0.4R to 2R can be
considered typical, and the PMT amplification voltage
can be adjusted to compensate for the dose on the
plate. Because increasing the amplification of the
signal from the plate also amplifies noise, doses at the
lower end of the range are most useful for profile or
informational radiography. However, with a high
quality and low noise scanner, weld quality images can
be achieved with doses as low as 0.5R on the PSP.

Not only is the exposure time for CR imaging plates
typically less than that of conventional film, the
scanning time is also less than film development time,
and a darkroom and chemicals are not required
(although scanning and image viewing are best done in
reduced light conditions).

The use model and advantages of CR fit well with the SCAR technique, supporting the safety and productivity
aspects, and balancing the required image sensitivity and quality with reasonable exposure times.

Figure4.
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CombiningSCARandCR

The sensitivity of the digital PSPs complements the lower activity sources used in SCAR. Most typical SCAR
applications use Se-75, which generates a clearer and less grainy image than Ir-192, although it does not address
thicker materials. Generally, for steel thicknesses greater than 1.25, Ir-192
PLUS
is recommended, although the
smallest SCAR devices cannot be loaded with this isotope. However, the higher sensitivity of the PSPs coupled
with the CR system often means that Se-75 can be used beyond the material thickness range addressed by
conventional film techniques.

Whichever isotope is used, a benefit of the smaller source is that it can have a smaller diagonal focal size than its
higher activity equivalent. This is particularly true of
75
Se
ntinel
, where the quasi-spherical source shape offers the
smallest focal size available for a given activity.

This small focal helps in two ways: First it produces a sharper image overall, and is thus more likely to meet image
sensitivity requirements for weld-quality images. Second, it permits a smaller source-to-film-distance (SFD) because
of reduced unsharpness, which in turn lowers exposure times, compensating somewhat for the increased exposure
times that can be a result of SCAR.

Figure 5 shows a Model 989 baby SCAR set
up for a contact shot of a 6 schedule 80 pipe. In
this configuration, with the SCAR device loaded
with a 20ci Se-75 source, exposure time to get a
0.8R dose on a high resolution PSP was slightly
over 2 minutes. Using a CR system here in place
of conventional film reduces the exposure time
by a factor of three.

Using a conventional 80ci Ir-192 source and
film, the exposure time would have been less
than 30 seconds, but the reduction in controlled
area (to 2mR/hr boundary) from 456 feet to 20
feet means that surrounding activities can
continue unabated.



Table 1 illustrates another application a 3
pipe profile shot taken at an SFD of 18. The
combination of CR and SCAR using various
sources is compared to a conventional film
technique. It can clearly be seen that shot times
are comparable with, or in some cases less than,
the more traditional approach.

The CR scanner software also plays a role in
determining the usability of the CR system
at these lower dose levels. The advanced
filters and adjustment capabilities included
with many CR imaging systems allow image
contrast and details to be optimized,
potentially allowing the use of lighter
images, or even rendering sub-optimal
images usable and thus reducing reshoots.
Figure5.
Table1.
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Conclusion

In order to experience the benefits of controlled area reduction, and having a reasonable exposure time while
maintaining image quality, it is evident that the combination of SCAR and CR provides the optimum solution.
SCAR reduces disruptions during radiography by dramatically reducing controlled area requirements, thus
increasing productivity by allowing nearby activities to continue. CR uses technology to allow weld-quality images
using the lower activity isotopes that are central to SCAR. Potentially the savings are huge, since facility-wide
shutdowns can now be avoided while radiography is taking place. In addition, since radiography can now take place
during normal shift operations, the time to make results available to the end customer is significantly reduced.

Both technologies are highly portable, and if the CR scanner can operate on an internal battery, they allow
radiography to continue in the absence of local power. The reduction in ongoing darkroom costs, and the
environmental considerations from not using or disposing of toxic chemicals are also factors that make this
combination attractive.

Ultimately, the demands of the inspection will determine the techniques to be used, but it is certain that the
combination of SCAR and CR offers significant advantages, and will increasingly be the method of choice for the
cost-sensitive and conscientious radiographer.

Acknowledgements

TheauthoracknowledgestheinvaluablecontributionsofDavidCarter,DaveCrocker,andBobKellyfrom
QSAGlobal,Inc.andJimMcNabfromOceaneeringInspection.

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