Nuclear Power Plant Tests DAS: An initial test of a distributed antenna system (DAS) shows promise for addressing nuclear power plant coverage challenges.

An initial test of a distributed antenna system (DAS) shows promise for addressing nuclear power plant coverage challenges.
Nuclear power plants need reliable wireless communication systems for efficient management and maintenance, but their complex, super-reinforced concrete construction makes it difficult to get RF signals to and through most areas within. RFS and SOLiD developed and tested a DAS system for a decommissioning plant in Florida as a proof-of-concept to overcome these challenges and enable wireless communications inside the plant. RFS’ higher-order mode suppression technique, which allows its radiating cable to have no stop bands from 698 MHz to 2.7 GHz, was a significant factor in the system’s success. For a nuclear plant, this capability is needed to accommodate a high-performance, future-proof design and fewer shadows to enable LTE technology for data management. The radiating cable provided a uniform distribution of RF energy over the entire distance of the cable, improving coverage in all frequencies. The feasibility test was so successful that further testing will now be conducted in active power plants for future deployment.