Leak mitigation and groundworks near sensitive structures

The Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS) is a facility on the Sellafield site that was built in the 1960s to store nuclear waste from fuel reprocessing under water. Sellafield Ltd (SL) is in the process of decommissioning the facility and retrieving the waste so that it can be stored in a more modern facility elsewhere on the site. The challenger is seeking solutions which will support existing decommissioning activities and enable them to identify tools and techniques for the containment and mitigation of underground leaks whilst minimising the risk of potential damage to surrounding sensitive structures.

Opportunity

Challenge opens

03/08/2020

Challenge closes

14/09/2020

Benefit

The KTN-iX competition, delivered by the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN), is supporting Sellafield Ltd (the Challenger) to identify solutions to its challenges. This current challenge relates to leak mitigation and groundworks near to sensitive structures in the radiological separation area of the Sellafield site. The winning business(es) 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 Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS) is a facility on the Sellafield site that was built in the 1960s to store nuclear waste from fuel reprocessing under water. Sellafield Ltd (SL) is in the process of decommissioning the MSSS facility and retrieving the waste so that it can be stored in a more modern facility elsewhere on the site.

As part of these decommissioning activities, SL needs to undertake leak mitigation and groundworks which will enable future assessment and monitoring of the ground and structures under the ground in the vicinity of the MSSS building. The work will need to apply appropriate mitigation for the close proximity of a range of ageing structures which possess known defects and are sensitive to movement and vibration. Current activities around the facility include the following:

  • Conducting a CAT scan of a proposed drill site
  • Undertaking a ground penetrating (GPR) radar scan
  • Digging a sample pit (circa 2m deep) to determine whether there are any underground services which could be damaged or disturbed during subsequent monitoring or remedial work

SL wants to explore tools and techniques for the containment and mitigation of underground leaks whilst minimising the risk of potential damage to surrounding sensitive structures. Ideas may include (but not limited to) the following:

  • excavation to allow the installation of systems to undertake permeability checks or determine dose rates using gamma sensors
  • the installation of injection or pumping wells to deploy environmental mitigation systems e.g. underground grout pumping in connected drill wells to form a grout curtain wall which can stem the disbursement of contamination
  • other novel or innovative approaches which allow the investigation / mitigation to take place within the constraints of not damaging the adjacent vulnerable structures.

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
  • Mineral Mining Industry
  • Construction industry including offshore installation
  • Water Industry
  • Rail Industry
  • Energy transmission and grid.
  • Contaminated land remediation contractors
  • Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) survey

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

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

  • Support from the Catapults or the KTN to identify development funding opportunities
  • Support from Sellafield Ltd in the development of a prototype or pilot
  • Technical support from Sellafield Ltd
  • A place in KTN or Catapult events
  • A potential business collaboration (it is possible that a complete solution may require a collaboration with other applicants)
  • Potential access to the Game Changers programme (and associated funding)

Solution Requirements

Functional Requirements

  • Mitigation and containment of any underground leaks which are detected
  • Assessment and monitoring of the ground in the vicinity of the MSSS building
  • Operate close to structures (within 2 – 3m on occasion)
  • Most access routes are hardstanding.
  • There may be spatial restrictions such as height, width and terrain, that change from time to time as other work is carried out in the area. Equipment measuring similar to a large van has been deployed in these areas without access issues.
  • Drill holes which are 125mm to 200mm diameter to a depth of between 5 – 8m deep whilst minimising the vibration risk to nearby structures; vibration should be kept to a minimum, for example previous works have created less than 2mm/s at the building
  • No drilling underneath structures

Technical Characteristics

The solution should:

  • Provide precise and consistent deployment
  • Minimise the potential for contamination and allow for clean down after operation
  • Generate minimal waste and limit exposure. Carefully manage materials brought to the surface
  • Ideally any waste that is generated should be solid in nature
  • Waste materials must be robustly controlled; the potential to contain disturbed materials in a vessel to allow direct disposal could be considered
  • Support will be provided to ensure that waste handling and containment is compatible with existing waste management routes
  • Be capable of withstanding the near surface geology of made ground which is likely to include remnants of legacy structures, large cobbles and boulders (note that little information can be provided regarding the existing geology)
  • Be capable of remote operation [desirable], thus reducing or eliminating the requirement for operators to be present in the work area

Deployment Timescale

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

Operating Conditions

  • Operation will be in a spatially constrained environment due to presence of critical infrastructure e.g. water and electrical supplies, restricted access and limited working height. Access routes must remain open at all times
  • System would ideally be capable of withstanding radiation from radioactively contaminated material uncovered or brought to the surface during groundworks. There may also be radiation shine from MSSS and adjacent buildings >100 µSv/hr. Support and guidance will be provided by SL to help applicants understand any nuclear-related hazards and requirements (for example, develop radiation hardening for their technology if required)
  • Radiation monitoring and other safety checks will need to be made of internal structures and all components to allow clearance for removal from the area after operation. These checks will be made by SL and / or contractors.

Cost requirement and market opportunity

  • There are additional opportunities for this technology across the Sellafield site, which has buildings and facilities containing tanks, vessels and pipework in congested areas that will be decommissioned
  • Solutions will also have applicability at other nuclear sites which are being decommissioned, both nationally and internationally

Eligibility and assessment criteria

Entrants to this competition must be:

  • Established businesses, start-ups, SMEs or individual entrepreneurs
  • Universities / RTOs with >TRL4 solutions
  • 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 solution
  • 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

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 the 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 the Challenger.
  • Where necessary, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) may be signed to uphold confidentiality in the engagement between the Solution Provider(s) and the Challenger.
  • Innovate UK and KTN do not take any share of IP ownership or enter into commercial venture through the KTN-iX programme.

Q&A

Q: Is the detection of water leaks in scope for this challenge or is it just addressing the mitigation once the leak is detected?   A: Not for the detection of leaks; although the approach may be applicable for the monitoring of known leakage to support the mitigation approaches

Q: Are there detailed and accurate plans relating to structures that can be used to generate a 3D model for overlaying on field operations to mark risks and identify safe operating areas?  A: In general, some of the legacy facilities have plans of the structures and associated infrastructure. In some cases there may be slight inaccuracies. The presence and accuracy of plans can vary dependent on the age of the structure. 

Q: Is any CAT scan data and ground penetrating (which is assumed to be voxel in nature - can this be clarified) available and geo referenced such that sub surface features can be overlaid on real world features for assisting in the conduct of operations?    A: In general CAT scan survey information is not recorded. GPR surveys are usually undertaken for individual tasks or projects, often by subcontractors, and the information is not collated into a central resource. Such surveys are generally carried out prior to ground intrusive activities when doing new site construction to identify undocumented services to support new services designs and to minimise H&S risks during construction. 

Q: Is there a requirement for 3D scanning and point cloud / scene reconstruction for planning and record keeping purposes?     A: No. We do complete 3d surveys and combine with other data (eg radiological) when there is a benefit to help plan a task or support work. LIDAR scanning is sometimes used to survey existing structures. 

Q: Are all planning and survey tasks expected to operate within the normal bounds of radiation worker exposure i.e. is equipment hardening and decontamination a requirement?     A: Yes. In general all areas could be accessed although working time may be limited and additional procedures may be required due to the potential for contamination. Any equipment to be removed from a work area would need to be checked by a health physics survey to show it is free from contamination. If the equipment is shown to be contaminated then decontamination will be attempted. If the complexity of the equipment is such that there are doubts on whether it can be fully decontaminated (or proven to be so), then it will not be released from site. 

Q: Are there any intrinsic safety requirements for the activity (electrical spark and transmission limitations)?     A: This would be dependent on the specific work area.


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