Publications
The development and application of the Remotely Monitored Sealing Array (RMSA)
Advanced sealing technologies are often an integral part of a containment surveillance (CS) approach to detect undeclared diversion of nuclear materials. As adversarial capabilities continue to advance, the sophistication of the seal design must advance as well. The intelligent integration of security concepts into a physical technology used to seal monitored items is a fundamental requirement for secure containment. Seals have a broad range of capabilities. These capabilities must be matched appropriately to the application to establish the greatest effectiveness from the seal. However, many current seal designs and their application fail to provide the high confidence of detection and timely notification that can be appreciated with new technology. Additionally, as monitoring needs rapidly expand, out-pacing budgets, remote monitoring of low-cost autonomous sealing technologies becomes increasingly appealing. The Remotely Monitored Sealing Array (RMSA) utilizes this technology and has implemented cost effective security concepts establishing the high confidence that is expected of active sealing technology today. RMSA is a system of relatively low-cost but secure active loop seals for the monitoring of nuclear material containers. The sealing mechanism is a fiber optic loop that is pulsed using a low-power LED circuit with a coded signal to verify integrity. Battery life is conserved by the use of sophisticated power management techniques, permitting many years of reliable operation without battery replacement or other maintenance. Individual seals communicate by radio using a secure transmission protocol using either of two specially designated communication frequency bands. Signals are encrypted and authenticated by private key, established during the installation procedure, and the seal bodies feature both active and passive tamper indication. Seals broadcast to a central 'translator' from which information is both stored locally and/or transmitted remotely for review. The system is especially appropriate for nuclear material storage facilities, indoor or outdoor, enabling remote inspection of status rather than tedious individual seal verification, and without the need for interconnected cabling. A handheld seal verifier is also available for an inspector to verify any particular individual seal in close proximity. This paper will discuss the development of the RMSA sealing system, its capabilities, its application philosophy, and projected future trends.