RE: Helicopter IBIS and Sr-90 sources

["Neil, David M" <neildm@id.doe.gov>]

I'm making a SWAG here, but my guess is that the Sr90 is shielded and used as a generator for Y90 which is circulated in the blades.  This escapes through any stress cracks that might occur and is detected warning the pilot of impending failure of the blade.



Blade failure while aloft in a rotary wing craft is considered a Real Bad Thing by pilots.



-----Original Message-----

From: Brian Rees [mailto:brees@LANL.GOV]

Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 9:53 AM

To: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

Subject: Helicopter IBIS and Sr-90 sources 





Can someone 'splain this to me??? I don't quite understand how this works, 

a report references a shielded container, so I'm kinda confused (not 

terribly unusual).



"The strontium-90 was part of the helicopter's in-flight blade inspection 

systems (IBIS), which warn

pilots when the blades develop stress fractures. IBIS devices release 

minute amounts of radiation

when a leak develops in the pressurized blades, and a radiation detector on 

each wing immediately

notifies the pilot that a blade may fail."



Thanks in advance,

Brian Rees 



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