SENTRY® PORTAL

HIGH-THROUGHPUT, DUAL-ENERGY/HIGH-ENERGY X-RAY INSPECTION SYSTEM

A high-throughput cargo inspection system

AS&E’s Sentry Portal drive-through inspection system provides high-throughput cargo inspection by quickly and safely scanning trucks, cargo containers, and tanker trucks for security screening or Customs enforcement.

With a compact footprint that allows for installation in areas with space constraints, the Sentry Portal system can scan a high volume of containers at seaports, border crossings, and security checkpoints. Using a dual-energy/high-energy transmission X-ray source, it provides excellent penetration—up to 300 mm of steel in high-energy mode—for normal stream of commerce cargo, while minimizing the amount of scattered radiation experienced by the cab—the lowest in the industry. As vehicles pass through the portal, the high-quality images appear in real time on the high-resolution monitor, allowing for immediate processing and analysis. Throughput is up to 150 trucks per hour. A robust container-locating sub-system ensures safe drive-through operation, so that the driver is never exposed to high-energy X-rays. For air cargo screening at airports and other transportation hubs, the Sentry Portal system can scan airport tugs pulling multiple pallets and segment each container into a separate scan record.

Z Portal co-location

For maximum detection capability, the Sentry Portal’s high-energy view can be combined with the multi-view Z Portal®. This allows for three-sided imaging of the entire vehicle (including the cab) and improved detection of organic materials, such as drugs, explosives, and stowaways. For enhanced detection, the system can be easily integrated with radiation detection and container identification systems.

Technology

The technology behind the Sentry Portal relies on a dual-energy/high-energy X-ray source, allowing the beam to penetrate dense cargo, while minimizing the amount of scattered radiation. Operable in dual-energy, as well as high-energy, scan modes, the system can provide material discrimination with organic objects colored orange, and metallic objects colored blue. Employing technology to avoid scanning the cab, the container-locating sub-system ensures safe drive-through operations. The sub-system “informs” the X-ray source when the leading edge of the container reaches the beam plane—after the cab with the driver has passed—and in milliseconds, the X-ray beam is switched on. The safety of the drivers and operators is maintained with a robust safety system and very low ambient radiation dose. Extremely safe for operators and cargo alike, Sentry Portal falls well within the radiation safety requirements of NCRP/ICRP.


X-ray Source

7.5/5 MeV


Penetration:

300mm (12 in) of steel in high-energy mode; 280mm (11 in) in dual-energy mode


Wire Sensitivity:

3 mm (0.12 in) in high-energy mode; 4 mm (0.16 in) in dual-energy mode


Scan Speed:

12km/hr (7.5 mph)


Throughput:

Up to 150 trucks per hour


Power:

480 VAC +/- 10% (60 Hz), 3-phase, 20 kVA (U.S.) 380 VAC +/- 10% (50 Hz), 3-phase, 20 kVA (international)


Crew Requirements:

Minimum of one operator

Maximum Vehicle Dimensions:


Transmission beam orientation:

Diagonally upwards


Vehicle Width:

3.0 m (9.8 ft)


Vehicle Height:

5.0 m (16.4 ft)

Overall System Dimensions:


Depth of structure (front-to-back):

3.1 m (10.2 ft)


Width of structure:

8.2 m (27 ft)


Height of structure:

5.8 m (19 ft)