Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) for nuclear environments

核工业目前正在使用遥控车辆(ROV)来监测燃料储存设施和清理灾区。本项目将研究自主水下机器人(AUV)如何通过跟踪感兴趣表面上的敏感辐射传感器来识别高放射性区域。学生将与研究平台(AVEXIS)合作，在核环境(如燃料池)的合理规范内实现自动控制。AVEXIS的闭环控制将需要适当的执行器特性和数据融合算法的设计来实现这一目标。将研究在数据融合和机器学习中使用新算法。学生将开发实际的模拟和实验设置来测试他的算法。必须分析当前执行机构的适宜性及其分配。如果使用当前的执行器，则必须修改反馈线性化技术，以仅处理正向激励。必须探索其他合适的执行器的优缺点，并应考虑新的机械设计的可能性，以提高系统的性能。EPSRC研究领域(按字母顺序)：人工智能技术、控制工程、核裂变、机器人、传感器和仪器。

Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) are now being used in the nuclear industry for the monitoring of fuel storage facilities and in the clean-up of disaster areas. This project will investigate how autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) can identify areas of high radioactivity by tracking sensitive radiation sensors along surfaces of interest.The student will work with a research platform (Avexis) to achieve automatic control within sensible specifications within nuclear environments such as fuel ponds. Closed-loop control of Avexis will require proper characterisation of the actuators and a design of a data fusion algorithms to achieve this target. The use of novel algorithms in data fusion and machine learning will be investigated. The student will develop both practical simulations and experimental setups to test his algorithms. Suitability of the current actuators and their allocation must be analysed. Feedback linearization techniques must be modified to cope with positive actuation only, if the current actuators are used. Advantages and drawbacks of other suitable actuators must be explored, and the possibility of a new mechanical design should be considered to increase the performance of the system.EPSRC research areas (alphabetical order): Artificial intelligence technologies, Control Engineering, Nuclear fission, Robotics, Sensors and Instrumentation.