Sealing Bolt Conductive Monitoring for Remote Tamper Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for enhanced security features in sealing bolts for nuclear containers that allow operators to install and verify the sealing of containers without the physical presence of inspectors, particularly in scenarios where remote monitoring is necessary and tampering risks are high.
Innovation Solution
A sealing bolt with a monitoring and detection unit that includes a transmitter, detector, and processor, which records the first usage of the bolt by detecting a predetermined change in signal magnitude or transition, preventing reuse and allowing verification of initial installation, thereby ensuring the bolt has not been previously used.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If remote monitoring with video surveillance is used for sealing operations, then inspector presence costs are reduced, but security against tampering is weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/video surveillance monitoring system with an electronic/conductive monitoring system. A conductor embedded in the sealing bolt provides electronic signals that can be remotely detected and monitored, replacing the need for physical video surveillance while providing more reliable tamper detection through electrical conductivity changes that indicate bolt installation or removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductor acts as an intermediary element between the sealing bolt and the remote monitoring system. This conductor transmits information about the bolt's state (installed, removed, tampered) to remote inspectors, enabling secure remote monitoring without requiring direct physical presence or vulnerable video surveillance.
2Reliability
If sealing bolts with additional security features are used, then security is improved, but the number of bolts required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple security functions into a single sealing bolt design. The conductor is integrated directly into the bolt structure, and the monitoring system detects both installation status and tampering through the same conductive path. This merging eliminates the need for separate security devices or multiple bolts, reducing the total quantity while maintaining enhanced security.
3Reliability
If a monitoring and detection unit with conductor is added to the sealing bolt, then security and verification capability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the monitoring function from a complex external system and embeds it directly into the sealing bolt itself through the conductor. This extraction simplifies the overall system by making the bolt self-monitoring, eliminating the need for separate complex monitoring equipment while providing verification capability through the simple conductive element.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables secure installation and verification of the sealing bolt by operators, reducing the need for inspector presence and minimizing tampering risks, while allowing remote monitoring and real-time integrity checks, thus enhancing security and efficiency in nuclear storage casks.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient member arranged for biasing the pin into a first position, in which the conductor is compressed. The pin is movable against the biasing by the resilient member into a second position by application to the seal head of a predetermined torque.
Data Source
AI summary
A sealing bolt includes a seal head adapted to be mounted to the container lid, a seal stud adapted to be mounted to the container body, a pin connecting the seal head to the seal stud, a conductor in a transverse passage in the pin and a resilient member arranged for biasing the pin into a first position in which the conductor is compressed. The pin is movable against biasing by the resilient member into a second position by application to the seal head of a predetermined torque. The sealing bolt also includes a monitoring and detection unit including a transmitter and a detector coupled to respective ends of the conductor, and a processor coupled to the transmitter and the detector operable to determine that the pin has been moved into the second position for a first time when a signal detected by the detector has undergone a predetermined change.