Detection of Explosives for Commercial Aviation Security (1993) / Chapter Skim
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Pages 1-14
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The FAA plays a critical role in defining the terrorist threat, stimulating the development of explosive detection devices and systems, and in regulating their use. It can issue rules, set minimum performance standards, and set up a system for compliance that will allow private industry and open market competition to play an active role in research, development, manufacturing, and self monitoring.
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· Advanced explosive detection technologies offer considerable promise, but have not yet been demonstrated to be effective, much less cost-effective, in an airport environment. · An explosive detection system would not be acceptable if it substantially slowed down airport operations, or otherwise adversely affected the flow of passengers through the airport.
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From page 3... ...
Key conclusions of the committee are: · There does not appear at present to be any single detection technology that can, by itself, provide a high probability of detection coupled with a low false alarm rate that will reduce the threat of terrorism at an acceptable cost to airport operations. ~ Individual detection devices can be integrated into a system that takes advantage of the strengths of each method.
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A test director, together with a team of experts, could use the general protocol to prepare a detailed test specification tailored for a particular piece of explosive detection equipment without biasing the test. ~ The testing of explosive detection devices, in the context of the underlying system architecture, under realistic airport operating conditions, against a FAA-required performance standard must be the keystone of the FAA's certification program.
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From page 5... ...
, which could be composed on one or more integrated EDDs, would be certified by the FAA as meeting the operational standards .4 A comprehensive EDS certification program which includes but is not limited to certification testing, is strongly recommended by the committee. GENERAL TEST PROTOCOL FOR BULK DETECTION A general test protocol containing the framework of significant testing considerations required to design a test plan, conduct the tests, and analyze the test data and evaluate bulk detection equipment was developed in 4 parametric testing could be perfolllRd on EDS equipment to fully characterize the operational characteristics prior to the formal certification process.
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preparing a preliminary detailed test specification for developmental testing of candidate vapor detection devices. This specification is still evolving as the various test procedures are reduced to practice.
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~ Demonstration of Principle: laboratory apparatus assembled, signal-tortoise measurements completed, and detection of pure standards and interferrants tested. ~ Engineering Prototype: detection module integrated with other devices and sub-systems, testing of key operational parameters completed, and physical size and facility requirements of a fully capable device defined.
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From page 8... ...
neutrons activate nuclei by inelastic scattering which results in emission of characteristic gamma rays. Correlation of the direction of He gamma rays with the alpha particles yields directionality.
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on people. May have a high false alarm rate due to Effectiveness and speed of Engineering prototype.
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carbon, nitrogen and oxygen -- and identify the explosive by its composition, quantity, and location. The pulsed fast neutrons make possible fast correlation analysis that then allows for three-dimensional construction of the relative location of the explosive materials within the suitcase on a single pass.
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From page 11... ...
The alpha particle detection also provides a start signal for a neutron time-of-flight measurement for any detected deexcitation gamma rays, which can then be used for elemental identification and three dimensional imaging. Although this method has potential as an explosive detection device, the engineering problems are formidable and a working prototype has yet to be demonstrated.
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However, the method, if successful, would be relatively inexpensive. The committee suggests that testing of the existing engineering prototypes for feasibility be given medium priority.
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But, vapor detection suffers serious problems arising from the lack of understanding of the mechanisms involved in the evolution of the vapor, and potentially high false alarm rate. Therefore, at the present time, the committee concludes that vapor detection devices geared to sensing extremely small concentrations (femtogram level)
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From page 14... ...
· Performance testing of Dual Energy X-ray Computed Tomography engineering prototypes. Performance testing of Extremely Low Dose X-ray prototypes.
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