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The existence of some 100 million active mines threatens human life and curtails substantially the economic base in over 70 countries. Humanitarian demining is tedious and it currently only employs metal detectors, prodders, dogs and armoured mechanical vehicles.
Achieving a world free of mines within a period of 10 years as stipulated in international treaties requires safer and more efficient technologies. In response to this challenge the Working Group 5 of the European Federation for Non-Destructive Testing (EFNDT WG5) was founded in Berlin in March 1999. The subject of this working group now consisting of 50 members from 17 countries is the detection of antipersonnel mines (APMD). The basic idea was to investigate existing NDT methods into their ability to aid mine detection. The scope of activities ranged from collecting available information, setting up links to related organisation, defining terminology and standards to selecting dedicated research projects. Since some of these tasks are already conducted by other organisations on an European and international level the attention of the working group has been focused mainly on two R&D areas and on reliability assessment studies. Otherwise, EFNDT WG5 APMD nevertheless remains open to novel approaches in mine detection. Aim of all activities is to provide deminers with safer and more efficient tools than merely with prodders and metal detectors currently used for their dangerous task.
Radiography is a helpful method to identify the inherent structure of unexploded ordnances (UXOs). Portable Computed Radiography (CR) systems on the basis of phosphor imaging plates , have attracted attention for NDT-applications during the last few years. A portable IP system ACR 2000 has been tested for X-ray inspection of UXO's in the field. Digitised radiographs are presented to explain the needs and demands for a reliable characterisation of UXO's. Computed radiographs of UXOs are compared with film radiographs exposed in the same way, to evaluate the reliability and to identify advantages and disadvantages of the CR system for UXO inspection. Film based and CR systems provide sufficient information for identification of chemical warfare agents in UXO's, which is an essential problem for explosive ordnance disposal. The advantages and the potential of the portable CR system is discussed on the basis of experiences gathered during different field trails.
Human perception of images
(2005)
Neutrons are absorbed particularly by hydrogen containing materials so
they can be used as a tool for visualising heterogeneous density distributions of organic materials. Penetration limits are set by the layer thicknesses and the neutron energies applied. In case of specimens with a flat shape the situation may be encountered that the object only could be penetrated in selected directions. In addition, the overall size may exceed the beam diameter and thus the viewing window if a certain region of interest should be studied by tomography without destroying the integrity of the specimen.
This study shows the capabilities and limits of thermal and fast neutrons to investigate flat wooden specimens such as boards and girders by neutron tomography under such circumstances. Taking projections was impaired either by the limits of penetrability or by the total size of the object. As a consequence, projections were included for reconstruction only from a limited angular range of 90°. It could be shown that an approach based on the slice theorem was capable to visualise structural features along the beam directions while simply omitting the perpendicular ones without causing additional artefacts.
Small samples with a thickness of up to 2 cm but several times broader could be studied with the ANTARES facility of the FRM II neutron source in Garching providing thermal neutrons while larger objects required a beam of higher energy as available in the NECTAR facility of the same institution. The fast (fission) neutrons (1.5 – 2 MeV) of this site allowed investigating an area of interest inside a girder with a cross section of 23.5 x 49 cm². Internal features such as inclusions could be detected as well as a heterogeneous density distribution in glue layers.
Reducing risks and confining them to an acceptable level can be regarded as an essential commitment of technical applications for safety purposes and the public security measures.
Rating the efficiency of such measures requires an assessment of the risk that is supposed to be reduced. However, approaching this subject means to face a plethora of existing literature and an ongoing discussion if and how this can be achieved. On one hand, it remains a rather uncertain estimate particularly if it comes to rare interrupting events. On the other hand, making a decision responsibly requires a certain rational base. Several approaches exist for assessing risks, from verbal to quantitative, depending on the individual case. The frequently quoted Delphi technique represents the verbal one, others such as the Bayesian statistics a quantitative one or the consequence/probability matrix in-between.
A problem remains with understanding probability. Even if an event is highly unlikely it may happen right now.
The ultimate purpose of digital image filtering is to support the visual identification of certain features expressed
by characteristic shapes and patterns. Numerous recipes, algorithms and ready made programs exist nowadays
that predominantly have in common that users have to set certain parameters. Particularly if processing is fast
and shows results rather immediately, the choice of parameters may be guided by making the image 'looking
nice'. However, in practical situations most users are not in a mood to 'play around' with a displayed image,
particularly if they are in a stressy situation as it may encountered in security applications. The requirements for
the application of digital image processing under such circumstances will be discussed with an example of automatic
filtering without manual parameter settings that even entails the advantage of delivering unbiased results.
Safety and security both entail freedom from danger, i.e. unacceptable risk, whatever the cause might be. This
entails an understanding of the term 'risk' that is broadly used in areas such as economics, health, insurance etc.
According a rather popular definition used in the economical sciences for a long time (KNIGHT), risk has a lot
in common with uncertainty while the former is regarded quantifiable and the latter one is not. However, it has
to be taken into account that there are other understandings of 'uncertainty'. Particularly encountering rare
events never experienced before and recent contemporary definitions are weakening Knightfs differentiation.
This is reflected in some recent standard definitions. Attempts have been made to define a risk as common as
possible covering not only societal, ecological and financial areas but also natural and technical, ones. This is of
particular concern in non-destructive testing. This raises the question how far this can be achieved in a common
understanding, i.e. the discussion on this term seems not at all finished yet.
It is a common ambition to lower the risk by several actions including detection technologies. This entails that a
risk could be estimated somehow. The existence of numerous approaches indicates the complexity of this question.
The EFNDT (European Federation for Non-Destructive Testing) Working Group 5 took a commitment
also to tackle this central aspect of safety and security in its understanding as a bridging forum between these
two areas.
Some of the most perfidious remnants of war are mines threatening not
only combating parties but also innocent civilian lives. Moreover, they make large
areas inaccessible that otherwise could be used economically. This threat exists
even long after cessation of hostile actions. Up to now, the range of tools for humanitarian
demining is confined to mine detection dogs, metal detectors, prodders,
manual excavation tools and mechanical clearance machines (flails and tillers). In
1999, this gave rise for the Board of Directors of the EFNDT to suggest whether
detection methods commonly applied may also be helpful in detecting mines and the
like. It was proposed to transfer existing NDT technology to these areas. As a consequence,
Working Group 5 Antipersonnel Landmine Detection (APLD) was
founded to support this concept. As soon as the group became aware of the fact that
mines were encountered not only in the soil but also elsewhere the name was
changed to Antipersonnel Mine Detection (APMD).
It now is becoming more and more obvious that vicious devises such as mines
and bombs threatening lives everywhere represent an increasing risk to everybody.
In contrast, the particular interest in antipersonnel mine detection is decreasing in
favour of general security and safety. However, all these problems have in common
that such devices need to be detected in time, i.e. before they become effective. This
gives reason to extend the scope of the existing Working Group 5 accordingly. It is
of advantage to exchange existing knowledge and there is a chance to keep the
awareness of the mine problem alive by this way.
For the radiographic investigation of large cargo Containers the energies of conventional Xray tubes are inadequately for certain layer thicknesses. In that case the high energy radiation sources like electron accelerators and gamma radiators (60CO) are adequate for the non invasive inspection of large Containers because of the high penetration through thick materials. Multiple imaging even enables to distinguish between different materials. The main challenging task in air and sea cargo Container inspection is to improve the detectability of contraband and dangerous materials which are hidden in the heterogeneously packed Containers by detailed analysis of cluttered radiographic images. So it is to be expected that objects of organic substances like certain explosives or their precursors are hard to identify behind thick walls of heavy metal objects such as engine-blocks with flat bottom holes. The primary aim here is to investigate the detectability of dangerous materials (typically of light elements) in cargo Containers using high energy X-ray digital radiography.
As a matter of fact, avoiding unexpected events with an undesired outcome is an element of survival strategies.
Such events are encountered unexpectedly mainly because they occur rarely. Both, safety and security measures are the main pillars to prevent them by appropriate inspections. Common tools in both areas e.g. are radiological technologies enabling an insight into objects to detect suspicious features without even touching them. Since any of these measures is linked to efforts, costs or even obstructions of ongoing processes, it needs a rationale to invest into an appropriate activity. A putative objection to take action in this direction always could be the question 'when and how often it could happen'. This gave rise to find approaches how to define 'rare events' and how to deal with them. Since they entail both, the frequency of occurrence and the unpleasantness of the possible outcome make them to have something in common with the definition of risk: a combination of the probability of occurrence of harm and the severity of that harm. Tackling putative consequences is one side of the coin whereas understanding the rareness of an event is the other, an aspect that worries but not always fully understood.
As a first step in approaching the subject 'rare events', the putative occurrence rate is considered in terms of probability distribution functions or their cumulative ones, resp. The problems of estimating an incidence of such an event will be tackled subsequently with the problem of assessing the reliability of diagnostic measures.
Any numeric approach of dealing with rare events inevitably remains an ill defined or 'ill-posed' problem that needs additional information for a reasonably satisfying solution. Ways to ease this situation can be found in utilizing additional information, also commonly called prior knowledge, that might be introduced via the Bayesian inference or by regularization algorithms. Simplified models will demonstrate how to apply such tools.
As a consequence, there are ways helping to avoid unexpected ad 'surprises' by taking adequate measures in due time upon the correct perception of certain indications.
EFNDT working group 5 'NDT technology for public security and safety', two areas with the same aim
(2014)
It is a quite common and understandable wish to make the world a safer place. This entails both freedom from danger, and thus encompasses both, safety and security. However, it is a trivial fact that public security and technical safety are commitments to distinct social entities that might be quite understandable due to the various kinds of threats. On the other hand, it is a common justifiable interest to have effective methodologies to detect them in time, i.e., before something disastrous might happen. It is rather obvious that particularly non-destructive inspection technologies, namely radiological methods, are applied in both areas. As a logical consequence, sharing the technical knowledge and experiences could be of benefit for both of them. However, the different areas of activities cleave the information exchange between them. In order to overcome this gap, the EFNDT Working Group 5 'NDT Technology for Public Security and Safety' (EFNDT WG 5) has taken an initiative to bring together actors of both areas of activities, symbolized as building a 'bridge'. The activities of the EFNDT WG 5 range from identifying features exhibiting certain threats that are detectable with available NDT technologies, adapting and improving them according to their specified applications and to search for alternative technologies or ways of applications where deemed to be applicable. Successful exchanges of information and experiences have been achieved in recent workshops, where also new ideas have been raised for future common projects. This kind of work is far from being completed; it is more or less at its beginning. In future workshops it is intended to follow up these ideas and to pave the way for future common interdisciplinary projects. Therefore, all groups involved in such projects are welcome, not only researchers and NDT-specialists, but also all endusers of the respective technologies as well as theoreticians for risk assessment, performance evaluation, modelling, statistics etc. All the addressed areas are deemed to play an important role in making the world a safer place, cooperatively.
Wooden artworks residing in churches for centuries inevitably suffered from decaying processes such as Wood worm infestation. About 100 years ago, this process was ceased with a polluting coal tar extract 'Carbolineum', a treatment usually applied to railway sleepers. Nowadays, this lead to undesired effects not only of causing dark stains on the surface of the treated sculptures but also in unimpaired release of traces of harmful substances into the atmosphere perceptible as the typical smell of coal tar oil. To resolve this problem, the knowledge of the internal structure could provide a support for this effort. As an example, sculptures from an epitaph in a church in northern Germany were subjected to X-ray and neutron computed tomography (CT). The purpose of using neutrons was to get information about the distribution of the impregnant Carbolineum. It consists of a mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which should increase the absorption of neutrons. In contrast, X-rays are rather poorly absorbed by such substances as compared to the wood matrix. All radiographic approaches
revealed traces of previous conservation measures that were not always documented in detail. Comparing the neutron images with those from the X-ray interrogation some differences became obvious indicating varied material compositions. Nails e.g. were clearly visible in the X-ray images rather than in the neutron ones. Some less visibly stained parts of the sculptures correspond with obviously replaced materials in the inside. These results will be used to identify ways how to treat the infested artworks.