Advanced Inspection for Techniques for Graphite Core Reactors - Looking forward to the challenges of decommissioning

拆除石墨慢化反应堆需要新颖、高性能、安全和经济高效的拆除操作解决方案。这个博士项目将建立在EDF-Energy和该大学在石墨岩心无损检测领域的十年研究历史的基础上。虽然以前的工作主要集中在监测运行反应堆停运期间状况的新技术上，但这个博士项目现在将确定采用这些技术的挑战是什么，以及可以开发哪些新的退役检查工具，以支持该领域的国际努力。该项目是一项工程研究，旨在产生科学理解和实际产出、建议和示范，这将有助于指导在拆除反应堆堆芯之前和可能在拆除过程中进行无损检测的应用。这是为了在未来十年开始为英国先进气冷堆（agr）退役的行业计划提供信息。iCase学生将承担以下工作：参加相关领域的培训课程，如核技术和无损检测。研究和回顾AGR和磁诺克斯堆芯拆除的现有方法和建议方法。识别和分析NDT的特殊机会，以支持退役要求分析当前的AGR检查和方法及其在退役中的应用潜力。为进一步的研究选择特定的传感模式生成计算机模型来研究无损检测系统的潜在性能。建立实验室实验来演示和评估每个提议的无损检测系统。比较测量结果和模拟结果，以验证模型，从而对量化其性能的能力提供信心。得出结论并酌情报告。在论文中记录研究结果，并在国内/国际会议和主要科学期刊上报告研究结果。该项目将考虑在拆除之前对石墨堆芯状态进行无损检测的新技术概念。这项研究将通过计算和实验系统收集证据来支持这些概念的原理证明。这些是低技术准备水平（例如TRL 2和TRL 3）的典型特征。

Dismantling of graphite moderated reactors requires novel, high-performance, safe and cost-efficient solutions for dismantling operations. This PhD project will build on the history of ten-years research between EDF-Energy and the University in the area of non-destructive testing for graphite core inspection. While previous work has focussed on new techniques for monitoring the condition of operational reactors during outages, this doctoral project will now identify what the challenges of adapting these techniques are and which new inspection tools can be developed for decommissioning to support international efforts in this field. This project is an engineering study to produce both scientific understanding and practical outputs, recommendations and demonstrators, which will help direct the application of non-destructive testing prior to and possibly during the dismantling of the reactor core. This is intended to inform industry plans for decommissioning of the UK fleet of Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors (AGRs) starting over the next decade.The iCase student will undertake the following work:Attend training courses on relevant areas such as nuclear technology and non-destructive testing.Study and review current and proposed methods for AGR and Magnox core dismantling.Identify and analyse particular opportunities for NDT to support the decommissioning requirementsAnalyse current AGR inspection and methods and their potential for use in decommissioning.Select particular sensing modalities for further investigationProduce computer models to investigate the potential performance of the NDT systems.Build laboratory experiments to demonstrate and assess each of the proposed NDT systems.Compare measured and simulated results to validate the modelling and hence provide confidence on the ability to quantify their performance.Draw conclusions and report as appropriate.Document the results in a thesis and report the research in national / international conferences in the fields and leading scientific journals.This project will consider new technology concepts for the non-destructive testing of the state of graphite cored reactors prior to dismantling. The research will gather evidence to underpin the proof-of-principle of these concepts, with computational and experimental systems. These are typically characteristics of low Technology Readiness Level (e.g. TRL 2 and 3).