Removing Residues from Inside Pipes and VesselsCopy Link

The NUiX challenge competition, delivered by the KTN, is supporting Tier 1 and Tier 2 companies (the Challenger) to identify innovative solutions to its innovation challenges. The winning business(s) in this competition will be given a commercial opportunity to deliver their solution and receive support from the KTN and the wider InnovateUK network.

Background

The Nuclear Innovation Exchange (NUiX) is supporting a challenge holder to identify transferable solutions for its innovation and customer needs.

Nuclear power plants are some of the most complex industrial site requiring remediation in Western Europe. Sellafield alone consists of more than 2,200 buildings including 170 major nuclear facilities.

Post Operational Clean Out (POCO) seeks to reduce plant radioactivity levels by orders of magnitude, which reduces the risk and hazard for decommissioning and, in turn, lowers the lifetime costs of the redundant plants and makes the plant more economical to dismantle.  Even with current post operational clean out (POCO) practices solids and solvents are left over.

The challenge is to identify a solution which can target, break down and mobilise solids (some maybe radioactive) which are not removed by existing POCO practices and are adhered and ingrained to the internal surface of pipework or vessels. The solution needs to operate from the outside of the pipework or vessels.

Whilst not limiting the technologies from solution providers, it is expected that solutions would consider innovations from some of the following areas:

• Oil and gas industry
• Chemical industry
• Construction industry
• Food industry
• Water industry

To meet the desired timescale and minimise risk, it is preferred that the proposed solution, or the key part(s) of the solution, has been previously demonstrated in an industrial environment (>TRL 3).  The solution should be achievable within health and safety requirements and regulations.

Rewards and benefits

• Support from the challenge owner to develop the technology
• Support from the Catapults or the KTN to identify development funding opportunities
  
• Support in the development of a prototype or pilot study
• Technical support
• A place at KTN or Catapult events
• A potential business collaboration
• Potential to access the Game Changers programme (inc. funding)

Solution Requirements

Functional Requirements

• The primary focus of this challenge is to seek solutions which are delivered from the outside of the pipe or vessel
• Where a compelling case is made solutions which break into the system may be considered
• Must not damage the integrity of the pipe or vessel
• Pipework and vessels typically have welded joints
• Solutions which are capable of removing blockages or solids compacted at the bottom of tanks (desirable)
• Pipework and vessels are typically stainless steel (e.g. 304L, 316L etc.)
• Solution must be capable of removing ingrained and adhered solids and solvents from straight and curved pipework and vessels

Technical Characteristics

• Pipework diameters range  from 50mm to 200mm
• Heels and residues often collect in pipe U-bends and pipe legs
• Vessels range from 5m³ to 150m³ in volume
• Vessels typically contain stainless steel furniture (e.g. wash rings, baffles, pipes etc.)
• Whilst most vessels are single skinned, some have an inner and outer double skin. The gap between the inner and outer skin is typically air filled
• Some vessels and pipework may be insulated and may require alternative approaches
• Wall thickness of the vessels are typically <10mm
  

Deployment Timescale

• There is an immediate need for the technology
  Validation of solution: within 1 year (via non-active trials)
• Field trials: within 1-2 years (via active trials)
• Commercial implementation: within 3 years (quicker if possible)

Operating Conditions

• The proposed solution must be rapidly deployed, this could be manually but must be capable of been remotely operated
• There are likely to be some constraints with deployment owing to the nature of the facility
• The pipes and vessels are typically in highly congested areas / rooms
• The pipes and vessels are typically damp and can be full of liquid
• Internal pipe and vessel temperatures do not exceed 50°C

Cost Requirement and Market Opportunity

• It is estimated that the cost benefit of POCO could be a saving of £1.8bn across the life span of three key reprocessing facilities at Sellafield
• Every nuclear plant which is in the decommissioning phase will need to go through a process to reduce the levels of radioactivity (inc. insoluble residues) and therefore the global opportunity is significant
• A number of facilities are due to undergo POCO over the next 40 years at Sellafield with opportunities in the next 2-4 years
• Opportunities exist across both operational and decommissioning sites both nationally and internationally

Eligibility and assessment Criteria

Entrants to this competition must be:

• Established businesses, start-ups, SMEs or individual entrepreneurs
• UK based or have the intention to set up a UK base

Applications will be assessed on:

• Relevance to the topic
• Innovative nature of the subject
• Coherence of the proposed business model
• Feasibility/ economic viability
• Development potential
• Maturity of project/solution
• Ability to launch project quickly/ease of implementation
• Price/quality ratio
• Suitability for the UK and European Market

IP and Potential Commercial Route

• Existing background IP associated with a potential solution will remain with Solution Provider(s). Where any new IP generation is envisaged, it will be subject to the mutual IP agreement of the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.
• Any commercial deployment of transferred solution or newly developed solution, through licensing, joint venture, partnership or direct investment, will be subject to the commercial agreement between the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.
• Where necessary, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) may be signed to uphold confidentiality in the engagement between the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.
• Innovate UK and KTN do not take any share of IP ownership or enter into commercial venture through the NUiX programme.