1. PhD Bursary Scheme Rick Short, Research Manager 1
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
Rick Short, Research Manager 1

2. Webinar structure Brief introduction to bursary call (5 mins)
Detail on theme R&D needs from technical leads (20 mins)
Open Q&A session (35 mins) 2

3. Why does NDA support PhD research?
Maintain and develop key technical skills
Provide fundamental understanding of technologies and processes across the NDA estate
Develop early stage technologies (TRL 1 – 3)
Encourage knowledge transfer 3

4. Bursary call in Estate R&D strategy4

5. Ultimate aim
…the estimated undiscounted total cost of the NDA mission over the projected 100+ year timescale is £118 billion (undiscounted), £70 billion (discounted) .Considering this as a single figure however could lead to a false sense of certainty in the outcome and instead it should be considered within the identified uncertainty range of
£95 billion to £218 billion.
Source: NDA Annual Report and Accounts FY 14/15 5

6. NDA PhD Bursary
Decommissioning Working Group 6

7. Research Themes – Presenters
Hannah Bean & Penny Birtle, Magnox Ltd
Christina Alexander, EDF
(DWG Co-Chairs / Introduction)
Tom Robinson, Sellafield Ltd
(Sellafield Ltd challenge)
12th September 2016 7

8. Decommissioning Working Group
Promoting cross-SLC and inter-nuclear organisation sharing and learning of nuclear decommissioning technologies and experience
Identifying generic opportunities to commission research and development under the banner of decommissioning
The DWG core group membership represented by NDA SLCs (Magnox, DSRL, LLWR, Sellafield Ltd) other nuclear operators (EDF, AWE), organisations (GDS) and NDA. 8

9. Problem Statement
“There are a number of plant areas on numerous sites where manual work cannot be undertaken owing to challenging radiological and conventional safety environments. There is a need for remote capability for dismantling / deconstruction of plant, size reduction and waste segregation to enable decommissioning of these areas”
Different materials in different geometries
Complex plant architecture
Minimal space and high radiation environments
Limited penetrations / access points
Manual entry required 9

10. DWG Research Themes
Technologies for the recovery and treatment of waste materials
Techniques for the recovery, characterisation and segregation of wastes (including alpha decommissioning and difficult to access areas) remote and autonomous systems are of particular interest.
Monitoring of decommissioned facilities
including building structural assessment, monitoring containment and remote monitoring methods.
Development of decontamination technologies
including hard to access areas e.g. pipelines and pipework
Decommissioning tools and techniques
Smarter manual ‘multi-tools’ for use in hostile environments),
Remote decommissioning (e.g. heel & residue removals from pipework and tanks, improved air-fed suits for alpha decommissioning or systems for manual entries into hostile, C5 environments that do not require air-fed suits.)
Demolition and dismantling. 
Treatment or remediation of contaminated land and buildings
to optimise opportunities for reuse or clean up. 10

11. What is decommissioning?11

12. Where do we need R&D? Research themes :
Technologies for the recovery and treatment of waste materials 
Monitoring of decommissioned facilities
Development of decontamination technologies
Decommissioning tools and techniques
Treatment or remediation of contaminated land and buildings 12

13. Where do we need R&D? 13

14. Decommissioning at Sellafield Ltd
Decommissioning Sellafield is estimated at £24 billion
Reprocessing will stop 2020 and Sellafield will enter “broadfront decommissioning”
Two main areas of decommissioning:
Alpha
Fuel manufacturing, plutonium handling facilities, laboratories
Alpha radiation is easily shielded so decommissioning is MANUAL
Beta gamma
Reactors, spent fuel storage, fuel reprocessing
High beta gamma radiation does not allow manual operations, so decommissioning is REMOTE 14

15. Alpha (manual) decommissioning15

16. Alpha (manual) decommissioning16

17. Beta gamma (remote) decommissioning17

18. Beta gamma (remote) decommissioning18

19. Sellafield Ltd technology development1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
TRL
PhDs e.g. NDA bursary scheme
Technical Directorate:
Integrated Project Teams (IPTs)
Future Decommissioning:
Active Demonstrator
Decommissioning deployment 19

20. Any questions?
For details about the bursary scheme, please Dr Mark Bankhead:
For details on the Sellafield challenges, please
Proposals must be submitted by on Friday 21st October via: 20

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