Project Ra.Mon.

A
Radon Monitoring and Acquisition
System for continuous monitoring of Radon level

2017-Mar. RaMonA - Radon Monitoring and Acquisition www.promete.it

Description

RaMonA is an instrument for the

detection of radon gas
accumulation level, designed for
safe and comfortable use, to be
easily assembled and to make
routine maintenance easier.

Radon detection method: alpha

particles spectrometry.
The instrument is very compact
and of simple and secure grip,
with a weight of about 1600 gr.
and all designed insulation that
make it suitable for an outdoor
use.

2017-Mar. RaMonA - Radon Monitoring and Acquisition www.promete.it

air flow inlet

Radon concentration, flowing

through a measuring chamber
with a carrier gas, or emanating
from a porous material, is
measured by detection of alpha
particles emitted from its
descendants.

About an half of particles emitted

by this isotope is detected. After
the other decays in the chain, also
the 214Po α-s are emitted on the
detector surface.

2017-Mar. RaMonA - Radon Monitoring and Acquisition www.promete.it

alpha spectroscopy
A high voltage gradient in the
cell walls, which are to 3 kV
respect to a silicon detector
mounted at the centre of the
chamber, produces the transport
of the ionized fraction of 218Po
atoms.

Most of ions have to decay on

the sensor. Ion mobility depends
on air pressure P and
temperature recombination
probability depends on air
humidity U and temperature T.

2017-Mar. RaMonA - Radon Monitoring and Acquisition www.promete.it

alpha spectroscopy
collected ion
(in flight decays
222 Rn
possible)
218Po1+ on detector decays

214 Pb 214 Bi Pb
214
214Po

2500
218Po 6 MeV
212Po 7,7 MeV b, g b, g 210 Bi
2000

1500
spectrum from a radon
1000
source b,g
500

0
1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000

2017-Mar. RaMonA - Radon Monitoring and Acquisition www.promete.it

alpha spectroscopy
Features:
energy calibration, scale changing
ROI setting and visualization
(during the cycles it will be stored on disk the whole spectra or the ROI)

peak area and position

determination
Spectrum collected by RaMonA
sucking air from soil
222Rn and 220Rn α- lines can be

observed. The main peculiarity of

the system is the possibility to
separate, thanks to α
spectroscopy, the two radon
most abundant isotopes. The
energy resolution is 20 keV.

2017-Mar. RaMonA - Radon Monitoring and Acquisition www.promete.it

-spectrum
of the most abundant radon isotopes in soil gas
1400

Uranium series
Thorium series
1050 218Po
214Po 212Po
counts

216Po
212Bi
700

+ b
350
210Po coinc

0
5000 5500 6000 6500 7000 7500 8000 8500 9000 9500 10000

Energy (keV)

2017-Mar. RaMonA - Radon Monitoring and Acquisition www.promete.it

From concept to engineering

2017-Mar. RaMonA - Radon Monitoring and Acquisition www.promete.it

2017-Mar. RaMonA - Radon Monitoring and Acquisition www.promete.it
Intellectual property

Italian Patent Patent PD2008A000204

Method and apparatus for detection
of the remote origin fraction of radon
present in a measuring site
Pugliese MaGabriella; Roca Vincenzo
Applicants: Ist.Naz.di Fisica Nucleare
License agreement: signed the 06
February 2013 with INFN

Italian design Dimension 164 x 161 x 173 Model 0000103543

mm Device for radon detection
registration: Weight 1660 gr Torres Guizado Glenda
Volume: 0,7 lt Applicant: Promete srl

2017-Mar. RaMonA - Radon Monitoring and Acquisition www.promete.it

Comparison
with other active Radon Detectors
The alpha spectrometry via an electrostatic collection
chamber, allows the separation of Radon’s isotopes thus
providing an high measurement accuracy in a
continuous radon monitoring system.
The system provides an specific software to manage a
network of stations for continuous monitoring of Radon
levels.
The independent observation of 218Po alpha line allows
to follow the radon detection with a delay of less than
30 minutes
Internal and external measurement of environmental
(T,P,H) parameters. These data are necessary for any
forecasting models of Radon concentrations.
2017-Mar. RaMonA - Radon Monitoring and Acquisition
Other systems using alpha spectrometry for radon
monitoring make use of a ionization chamber with
“air sampled”, something that does not provide the
same measurement accuracy of an electrostatic
collection chamber.
No others active Radon measurement tool is
arranged for the creation of a monitoring network.
Other systems declaring similar capability use non
direct observation techniques, but only
approximated numerical methods
At the moment, all the instruments considered
provide a measure of external environmental
parameters
www.promete.it
Potential target
any situation where the continuous monitoring of radon is necessary

2017-Mar. RaMonA - Radon Monitoring and Acquisition www.promete.it

Francesco Paolo Tuccinardi
Aeronautical engineer
tuccinardi@promete.it

Promete Srl
is a spin-off company of the
National Institute for the
Physics of Matter (INFM-CNR)
Piazzale Tecchio 45
80125 Napoli
Tel: +39 081 056850
Tel: +39 081 056851
Fax: +39 081 056851
e-mail: promete@promete.it

2017-FEB RaMonA - Radon Monitoring and Acquisition www.promete.it