Autonomous search investigation for radioactive leaked source based on an updated infotaxis method during nuclear emergency rescue

Identifying leakage locations is one of the key issues for off-site decision workers in nuclear accident conditions, especially for performing early emergency rescue. To rapidly reduce the environmental radiation level of serious accidents in nuclear facilities caused by external events and identify radioactive residues outside containment, an autonomous search method for residue leakage source in nuclear emergency rescue based on the updated Infotaxis method was proposed. It takes into account radioactive decay and wet settlement caused by highpressure sprinkling or precipitation. The sampling rate function was updated by the radioactive decay term and washing factor in the Infotaxis method, which improves the dilution effect of environmental radiation and provides more accurate entropy information. The search trajectories were investigated under multiple scenarios, such as different source emission rates and wet deposition due to high-pressure sprinklers or precipitation. The results showed that the proposed method could improve search efficiency by adding a washing term, especially for improvement of the success rate in search of leakage source under higher source emission rates, and it helps nuclear emergency decision-makers trace the location of leakage source accurately during the rescue process to provide more scientific information for early emergency response and consequence assessment.

Automated summary

This paper proposes an autonomous search method for leakage sources in nuclear emergency rescue based on the updated Infotaxis method. By considering factors such as radioactive decay and wet deposition, the method improves search efficiency and accuracy. Experimental results show that the method is particularly effective in searching for leakage sources under high emission rates and provides scientific information for early emergency response and consequence assessment.