Re: Help: Steel Towers That Have Alpha Contamination

["Mike Malaxos" <rss@arach.net.au>]

Around 20 years ago a type of lightning suppressor designed by a ???
Singapore PHd student in Singapore was marketed world wide.

Although the system worked with up to a few MeV Tesla Coil generated static
it did not work in the real situation. The device used an array of plates
coated with Am 241 surrounding a central spire.  The alpha particles were
intended to ionise the air surrounding the spire and produce a conductive
plume which would leak away the charge (as the charged mass of air passed
near the spire)  to earth via a massive coaxial cable..

In reality the system worked in reverse. The excellent earthing system
became a lighting conductor. The lightning strike on the spire and crown of
plates surrounding the central spire caused  the Am 241 on the surface of
the plates to vapourise causing contamination to dribble down the tower
structure.  
A check to see if one of these units was fitted to the tower may be
worthwile.  They were outlawed in Australia around 1980

Best Regards
M.Malaxos
Radiation Safety Services
69-71 Robinson Avenue Belmont
Western Australia.  6104 
Fax 61 89 475 0165
P 61 89 475 0099  a/h 089 255 1214
email rss@arach.net.au
 

----------
> From: Michael P McDonald <mpmcdon@sandia.gov>
> To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
> Subject: Help: Steel Towers That Have Alpha Contamination
> Date: Wednesday, 18 February 1998 23:18
> 
> 
>      Radsafers,
>      
>      I have a question that a friend posed, that some folks may have a 
>      recollection of. We've looked, and can't locate or materialize the 
>      source of the information needed.
>      
>      It deals with galvanized steel towers that are being taken down and 
>      removed that checked out clean beta-gamma, but have approximately
300 
>      dpm/frisk alpha localized.
>      
>      The alpha is fixed. We tried to perform an alpha spec but got less 
>      than desirable results.
>      
>      Does any one remember or know of galvanized steel towers used as 
>      support of electrical wires attracting or having an infinity for an 
>      alpha emitter that ends up becoming fixed?
>      
>      If so, does anybody know of the reference?
>      
>      Please reply directly to me, as this is a bizarre request.
>      
>      Michael McDonald, RRPT
>      Radiation Protection Training Project
>      Sandia National Laboratories, NM
>      mpmcdon@sandia.gov
>      505-844-0653
>      
>