1 Presentation title - edit in the Master slide

 

R&D and Innovation in support of current operations

Prof Graham FairhallChief Science and Technology OfficerNational Nuclear Laboratory

Background•UK long history of nuclear energy

•R&D over past 60 years has underpinned nuclear development

•Significant R&D programmes ongoing within National Nuclear Laboratory and industry

•Over 30 UK Universities involved in nuclear research

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UK Objectives

Building a Future: R&D and Innovation

1. Fission-related research programme consistent with the UK’s nuclear aspirations (fuel, reactors, fuel cycles, waste management, decommissioning, disposal).

2. World-leading facilities supporting national and international customers

3. International R&D programmes with UK as a partner.

4. Nuclear innovation to underpin commercial success in domestic and global markets.

5. Establish groups to oversee the programmes

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Current civil nuclear programme

•Magnox, Advanced Gas Reactor and Sizewell PWR reactor operation

•Fuel cycle plant operations

•Legacy waste and decommissioning programme

•Spent fuel management and waste management

•Disposition of Plutonium and Uranium

•Geological disposal of radioactive waste

Underpinned by R&D

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Capabilities• Extensive R&D capabilities in UK across nuclear fuel cycle with subject matter experts in key areas - examples: Fuel development, nuclear physics, materials, actinide science, waste behaviour, robotics, waste processing, environmental science ..)

•Extensive capability in UK Universities undertaking basic science and supporting industry

•Significant industry focussed R&D and capabilities in a range of companies – large nuclear organisations e.g Sellafield Ltd and smaller companies

•Majority of applied R&D capability in National Nuclear Laboratory

•Wide range of experimental and modelling skills

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Approach to R&D

Lab scaleNon active

Lab scaleActive

Pilot plantNon active

Full scaleactive

Full scale vitrification development facility

Sellafield site

Active glove box experiments

Laboratory scale fuel development

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Integrated multi-scale modelling

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Unitprocesses

Modelling & Simulation Capability

Microscale Mesoscale Engineeringcomponents

Fission gas release

Fuel Element & Cladding

System

Fuelassembly

Reactorcore

ReactorSystem Components

VASP LAMMPS ENIGMA NEXUS ANSYS-FLUENT

StrategicAssessmentsReactor

Simulation

ORION

Integration codes and SAFETY CASESTOOLSCODES

Nuclear R&D Facilities

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UK Nuclear Universities•Over 300 full time academics in nuclear research

•30 collaborative projects, 30 Universities

•Involvement of national laboratories and industry and international universities / labs

•Examples: DIAMOND (Waste management/ decommissioning), AMASS (waste disposal), MBase (actinide separation), NNUMAN (manufacturing and fuel), BIGRAD (environmental/ waste behaviour), Fuel cladding, materials ..

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Process plant inspection

1. Black Cell

Inspections2. CADRecreations

3. EngineeredMock-ups

4. InspectionSolutions

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Current reactor supportExamples of R&D

• Post Irradiation Examination of fuel and materials

• Reactor core modelling

• Reactor and station plant chemistry

• Materials behaviour

• In situ inspection techniques

• Fuel design and licensing for life extension

• Spent fuel dry storage and disposal assessments

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Support for spent fuel management

Magnox reprocessing flowsheet R&D

Fuel storage

ADScycle

ThermalReactors

Fastreactors

ADScycle

ThermalReactors

Fastreactors

ADScycle

ThermalReactors

Fastreactors

Fuel Cycle Modelling using ORION software

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Legacy waste managementRange of facilities from early nuclear programmes

• Fuel storage ponds

• Waste silos and tanks

• Windscale Pile

• Reprocessing facilities

• Vaults

Major R&D programmes to:

• Reduce radioactive hazard

• Accelerate the programme

• Reduce the costs

• Provide innovative solutions

Waste sampling

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Deep geological disposal R&D

Package Performance

UnderstandingUK Inventory Spent FuelHigh level waste

Novel Wasteforms

Waste PerformancePost Closure

Radionuclides in the Environment

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Innovation – waste management and decommissioning

Robotics – Lasersnake

Muon tomography

Thermal treatment of wasteCharacterisation – underwater swarms and Radball

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Summary•Major R&D programmes over the past 60 years supported the development of the UK nuclear industry

•Extensive capabilities and subject matter experts in Universities, the National Nuclear Laboratory and industry undertaking basic research through to industrially applied R&D

•R&D programmes underpinning current nuclear operations and legacy waste management and decommissioning