Wireless Communications in Nuclear Decommissioning Environments

The use of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) is now widespread, with well- documented deployments across a diverse range of sectors including aerospace, agri- science and consumer electronics. In the nuclear industry there have been successful deployments of the WSN technologies for instrumentation and control, however, there are significant challenges that need to be addressed before wireless sensing can be used in nuclear decommissioning environments. These challenges include: limited sources of power; the radiation tolerance of the sensor and communication system components; the severe attenuation of wireless signals through reinforced wall structures; and the need to deliver secure, interoperable and reliable communication.