Novel Detector(s) for Characterisation during DecommissioningCopy 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 an opportunity to pitch their solution and potentially receive support from the KTN and the wider InnovateUK network.

Background

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

A core technical requirement within the UK nuclear industry is the ability to identify and quantify the nature and level of radioactivity and presences of other hazardous materials in wastes prior to their disposal, and during decommissioning operations.  The use of accurate data allows waste sentencing and disposal route identification and during the early phases of decommissioning this can provide significant cost savings.  Whilst samples can be sent to analytical laboratories for analysis, this introduces significant delays to programme due to transport, laboratory turnaround times and capacity.  The ability to rapidly detect and quantify contamination in-situ will also allow more frequent and detailed analysis to be performed, better enabling a waste informed approach to decommissioning.

The identification and quantification of gamma emitting radionuclides, via gamma spectrometry, is well established, non-gamma emitting nuclides and contaminants are more problematic in-situ.  Whilst several analytical techniques exist which can be used to identify the elements which are present (including Raman, Hyperspectral Imaging and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy), some of these techniques are limited in respect of quantification. 

Wood are seeking to:

1. Identify techniques, or an array of techniques, that in combination can generate higher quality quantitative data, even when levels are low.
2. Identify a data analysis software / user interface (UI) which can combine and display the sensor data.

It is expected that solutions may exist in some of the following sectors:

• Medical / Healthcare sector (inc. Pharmaceutical sector)
• Oil and Gas sector (NORM waste)
• Landfill and Waste Industry
• Defence & Security
• Satellite Systems
• Sensors and Advanced Imaging
• Analytical Instrument Manufacturer

To meet the desired timescale and risks, 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 in line with health and safety requirements and regulations.

Rewards and Benefits

Successful applicants will be given an opportunity to pitch to Wood. The package may also include:

• Support from Wood to develop / commercialise the technology
• Support from the Catapults or the KTN to identify development funding opportunities
• Support in the development of a prototype or pilot study (very high value with good returns for the developer)
• Technical support
• A place at KTN or Catapult events
• A potential business collaboration

Solution Requirements

Functional Requirements

• System must show advantages over existing techniques
• Sensors must have a detection limit that can establish confidence, with regulators, in the assigned waste classification e.g. UK Low Level Radioactive Waste Repository, Waste Acceptance Criteria.
• New sensor, or array of sensors, will be required to characterise and quantify materials during the decommissioning process which may include plutonium and Plutonium Contaminated Material (PCM), uranium, asbestos (bulk soil samples) and metals, anions, PAHs, VOCs, PCBs,  
• Method of capturing and displaying data from the sensor(s) in a way which is user friendly and provides a reasonable level of confidence to the operator
• Any device should be able to be deployed and interrogated by technician grade operatives.

Technical Characteristics

• The flexibility to change the sensor package, thus providing an array of interchangeable sensors would be an acceptable concept
• A sensor or array of sensors which in combination can provide quantitative analysis back to a UI
• A sensor system which can transfer data back to the UI via a fibre link, therefore reducing the electronics and processing at point of measurement
• A sensor system which can be deployed via a pipe crawler or remotely operated vehicle (ROV)
• Use of advanced computing techniques, such as artificial intelligence, to combine and interpret multiple data/spectra.

Deployment Timescale

• Validation of solution: within 1 year
• Field trials: within 1-2 years
• Commercial implementation: within 3 years (quicker if possible) 

Operating Conditions

• Deployment to be via ROV or crawler.  A drone is not being considered by Wood on this occasion.
• Can be deployed in an air environment at ambient temperature
• Sensor device to be deployable through a 150mm diameter access port
• Characterisation is required across several structure types inc. vessel walls, process equipment and pipework

Cost Requirement and Market Opportunity

• The UK government have set a target to reduce decommissioning costs by 20% (equating to billions of pounds)
• Waste informed decommissioning leads to optimised waste sentencing and minimises the amount of material which will go to a managed disposal facility, thus providing a significant cost reduction
• Improved clean out operations could save £1.8bn across the life span of three key Sellafield reprocessing facilities.  A minimum of 87 facilities are due to undergo POCO over the next 40 years.  Sellafield is the main decommissioning site in the UK.

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
• Collaboration across various analytical technique providers is welcome

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 Global Market