Game Changers challenge - Post Operational Clean Out.pdf

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Find out morePlease download the challenge statement for full details of this opportunity.Additional background information on <a href="https://www.gamechangers.technology/researchArea/5f889a0acb721f4107598b09" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">POCO at Sellafield</a> is also available.The application deadline for this challenge is&nbsp;18 February 2022 at 13:00.

Post Operational Clean Out (POCO)

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From cleaning-up the country’s highest nuclear risks and hazards to safeguarding nuclear fuel, materials and waste, Sellafield Ltd’s mission is nationally important.As they approach the completion of reprocessing and the site changes to decommissioning activities, Sellafield Ltd are increasingly focussed on environmental remediation and waste management.Research and development (R&amp;D) is fundamental to the delivery of their mission.&nbsp;New technologies and techniques can improve safety, security and reduce costs, timescales and environmental impact.Sellafield Ltd work in four value streams, prioritising efforts and maximising value:<ul><li>Retrievals: Sellafield Ltd are retrieving nuclear waste, fuel and sludge that are stored inside their legacy ponds and silos, the highest risks and hazards at Sellafield</li><li>Remediation: beyond the legacy ponds and silos, Sellafield Ltd have hundreds of nuclear and non-nuclear facilities that need to be cleaned-up</li><li>Spent nuclear fuel management: Sellafield Ltd are moving towards storing fuel instead of reprocessing it</li><li>Special nuclear materials: Sellafield Ltd have the facilities and expertise to provide safe, secure and appropriate storage for special nuclear materials</li></ul><h3>To support these value streams, Sellafield Ltd are particularly interested in innovation in these areas:</h3>

Sellafield Ltd

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Here is some formattable text about Dounreay

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Dounreay is Scotland’s largest decommissioning project and is internationally recognised as one of the most complex nuclear site closure projects. For more than 50 years it was the centre of the UK’s fast reactor research and development.&nbsp;Now the team is aiming to be recognised as a centre of excellence for nuclear decommissioning.&nbsp;The experimental nature of many of its redundant facilities which included the full spectrum of nuclear operation from fuel manufacture and reactor operation to spent fuel reprocessing and waste storage means that the clean up and demolition is complex and requires innovation and great care. Cleaning up the site poses challenges involving both high radiation and contamination as well as various hazardous chemical cocktails. This presents challenges as new and innovative solutions are required to access remote cells, ducts and vessels for inspection, characterisation, size reduction and material handling. The objective is to safely package and dispose of the materials and permit site remediation.

Dounreay

POCO is a phase in a plant's lifecycle after operations have been completed where the radiological and chemotoxic hazards in the facility are reduced to a level which will enable the plant to undergo surveillance and maintenance and make the decommissioning process safer, faster, and cheaper.To support POCO, Sellafield and Ltd and Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd would like to explore innovative:<ul><li>Access, deployment, and navigation techniques to remotely deploy tools for characterisation and decontamination</li><li>In-situ chemical and physical characterisation</li><li>Collection, interpretation and modelling of real time data</li><li>The use of chemical and physical methods to mobilise contamination</li><li>Decontamination of concrete</li><li>In-situ storage and immobilisation applications</li></ul>

Sellafield Ltd and Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd are looking for innovative technologies to support Post Operational Clean Out.Techniques to enable the reclassification of waste, approaches to effectively remove hazardous material from cells or process equipment and methods to enable the deployment of tools in hard to access areas are desired

CS - Waste Encap Alts - FINAL WEB.pdf

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<h3>Find out more</h3>Please download the challenge statement for full details of this opportunity.We hosted a webinar on 18th January 2022 which included Q&amp;A with challenge owners. <a href="https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/667763791" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">View the recording here.</a>The application deadline for this challenge is 31 January 2022 at 12 noon.

Alternative materials for encapsulation of nuclear waste in a net zero world

Challenge seeking alternative nuclear waste encapsulation materials

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The National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) is a UK government owned and operated nuclear services technology provider covering the whole of the nuclear fuel cycle.Established in 2008, NNL brought together the UK’s nuclear research and development capability into one organisation.NNL provide expertise, technology and access to cutting-edge facilities to organisations around the world.&nbsp;Their scientists and technologists are working at the forefront of nuclear innovation to address challenges and harness opportunities across the industry.NNL work on projects as small as drilling a hole to analyse underground wastes with their integrated microdrilling technology, and as large as developing state-of-the-art power systems, based on radioactive materials, for spacecraft.<h2>Innovation at NNL</h2>NNL has always been at the forefront of nuclear innovation, bringing their expertise to solve some of the industry’s most intractable problems.&nbsp;As custodians of some of the most advanced laboratories, active handling facilities, and nuclear technology research facilities in the world, NNL’s ability to bridge the gap between idea and application is second to none.As the nuclear sector faces a major challenge to innovate in order to compete on cost with other low-carbon technologies, NNL are broadening their innovation capabilities.&nbsp;The organisation has growing expertise in robotics, artificial intelligence and new materials.With a strong focus on adopting innovation from outside the sector, NNL are now working in partnership with Game Changers to find solutions to some of their own challenges.

National Nuclear Laboratory

The National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) is seeking game changing encapsulation solutions that are more fitting for a future Net Zero world.&nbsp;Cement based materials are used extensively for&nbsp;the encapsulation of a wide variety of low and&nbsp;intermediate level radioactive wastes. However&nbsp;lower alkalinity alternatives are being explored to&nbsp;reduce corrosion of encapsulated metals. These&nbsp;alternatives also offer environmental benefits&nbsp;due to their lower carbon footprint. Additionally,&nbsp;alternatives are being sought to ensure security of supply. Current cement-based systems require&nbsp;considerable energy to produce and release&nbsp;CO2 in their production. In light of the UK Net&nbsp;Zero 2030 targets, there is a requirement to be&nbsp;even more ambitious. This challenge seeks novel solutions to more sustainable materials.

NNL are seeking alternatives to cement-based solutions for use in nuclear waste encapsulation, which are more fitting for a future net-zero world

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a general challenge

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General application

If you think that you have an idea which might be of interest to any of our partners, please submit an application to tell us more.You can get learn about research areas which are of particular interest by reading our <a href="https://www.gamechangers.technology/partners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">partner pages</a>.Information about the <a href="https://www.gamechangers.technology/projects" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">projects</a> we're currently funding should also help you to decide whether your technology might have application at Sellafield, NNL or Dounreay.In addition, you might like to read some of the historic challenge statements published on our site.If you'd like to explore your idea with us before submitting an application, please get in touch.

Applications for the Game Changers scheme are always welcome for any project or technology which could support nuclear innovation. If you have an idea which you think might be of interest to Sellafield, NNL or Dounreay we'd love to hear from you.

Game Changers challenge - Production of thin film targets.pdf

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One of the variables in a neutron irradiation experiments is the targets required. That is, more specifically, the target which the generated neutrons interact with to produce a changed material. The proposed STELLAR system at Central Laboratory is intended to have a range of flexible applications that would require the synthesis of a diverse range of target materials, including the production of novel radionuclides for the improvement of radiation based medical treatments.NNL would therefore like to explore reproducible methods of producing thin films. These methods could potentially already be in use in different industries and could be adapted for nuclear use. Of particular interest are the ability to predict the formation of material in the thin-film and the ability to thoroughly clean production equipment when it is being used with different materials or on different runs.<h3>Find out more</h3>Please download the challenge statement for full details of this challenge. You can also watch a webinar recording to hear additional information from the challenge owner, details of how to apply and a Q &amp; A session:<iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/646210814/"></iframe>Proposals must be submitted using the Game Changers online application system.&nbsp;The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Thursday 25th November 2021.

Flexible method of production for thin film targets used in nuclear physics and nuclear medicine experiments

The National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) are inviting proposals to explore innovative processes or methods to put down thin, metal-based films onto a low atomic mass backing material in a flexible and reproducible manner. These thin films are to be used in a particle accelerator to help study fundamental nuclear physics and to identify and produce novel radioisotopes for research and use in the medical field.STELLAR is the name given to an ambitious NNL-led project to provide neutron irradiation facilities in the North West of England. Located at NNL’s Central Laboratory, STELLAR will define the requirements and establish a route to providing a unique UK and international capability for access to a high energy, high-flux neutron source.

The National Nuclear Laboratory are inviting proposals to explore innovative processes or methods to put down thin, metal-based films onto a low atomic mass backing material in a flexible and reproducible manner

Game Changers challenge - thermochemical hydrogen production.pdf

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Additionally, technology associated with thermochemical cycles could be coupled to other heat sources including, for example concentrated solar systems. However, there are currently no industrial solutions utilising this technology and both technical and commercial barriers remain. These need to be overcome to enable informed technology, investment and policy decision making which could assist in moving the technology towards commercialisation.The National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) are interested in innovations that draw on any and all relevant UK and international capability including technology transfer opportunities from any relevant sector such as bulk chemical manufacture, power generation, catalysis and control / safety systems. NNL are interested in working with partners over the long-term to help develop solutions that could expedite demonstration of hydrogen generation at pilot scale and beyond.<h3>Find out more</h3>Please download a copy of the challenge statement for more details of this challenge.You can also watch a briefing webinar to hear the challenge owners describe this opportunity in detail and to listen to Q &amp; A.<iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/642640362/"></iframe> Proposals must be submitted using the Game Changers online application system.&nbsp;The deadline for applications is 12 noon on&nbsp;Thursday 18th November 2021.

Technologies to scale thermochemical methods of hydrogen production

When partnered with a high temperature heat source, thermochemical (with purely heat input) and electro-thermochemical (where at least one process step could be electrochemically driven) hydrogen production from water has potential cost and efficiency benefits compared to hydrocarbon based or solely electrochemical hydrogen production methods (i.e. electrolysis).The nuclear industry has been at the forefront of this pioneering technological development worldwide as the technology is compatible with the high heat output of certain reactor types that could lead to reduced cost of hydrogen.

The National Nuclear Laboratory are looking for innovations that could overcome the barriers to scaling commercial deployment of thermochemical methods of hydrogen production from water

Game Changers challenge statement - Detecting alpha radiation.pdf

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The primary aims of this challenge are:• Detection of alpha radiation from contaminated surfaces under daylight illumination conditions from a distance of 2 metres or greater• Precise identification of the location of areas of alpha contamination above 50 kBq per m2Although not a primary aim of this challenge, it would be beneficial to be able to:• Quantify the level of alpha activity on a surface• Be able to identify (‘finger-print’) the source material<h3>Find out more</h3>Please download a copy of the challenge statement for more details of this challenge.You can also watch a recording of a challenge webinar where you can hear the challenge owners describe this opportunity in detail and listen to Q &amp; A:<iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/642633637/"></iframe> Proposals must be submitted using the Game Changers online application system.&nbsp;The deadline for applications is 12 noon on&nbsp;Thursday 18th November 2021.

Stand-off alpha radiation detection under daylight conditions

The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) and National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) are seeking game changing solutions that could enable the remote (e.g. several metres distant) detection and identification of radiologically hazardous sources of alpha radiation and provide an accurate assessment of their location. As a time critical component of emergency responses, there is a need to more accurately and rapidly map radiological contamination. Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hand-held alpha radiation monitoring equipment requires close proximity sweeps of the surfaces of potential source materials. This is time consuming, labour intensive and may not even be possible in some situations due to safety restrictions. Novel systems are sought that can operate from a distance of up to several metres under a range of illuminated conditions, including daylight.

The Atomic Weapons Establishment and National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) are seeking game changing solutions that could enable the remote detection and identification of radiologically hazardous sources of alpha radiation

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The pilot Advanced Nuclear Skills and Innovation Campus (ANSIC) is a first-of-its-kind programme for the nuclear sector. Funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and delivered by the <a href="https://www.nnl.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(63, 81, 181);">National Nuclear Laboratory</a> (NNL), the campus will be based at NNL’s Preston Laboratory. ANSIC will unite industry and academia to collaborate on projects which help develop and commercialise advanced nuclear technologies in support of the long-term zero-carbon future.The campus will oversee awards of £1 million into the UK industrial and academic supply chain through a variety of competitive open calls and challenges. Technical and operational support will also be provided by NNL in the delivery of successful bids.Important on-site training and educational opportunities at the campus will help ensure the UK has the necessary skills to maintain its position at the forefront of ground-breaking nuclear research and development.Building on the UK’s long-standing nuclear expertise, ANSIC will support the nation’s nuclear sector to develop operational capacity and deliver new technologies to meet the challenges of deep decarbonisation.Two calls for innovation are now live through ANSIC. <a href="https://www.gamechangers.technology/challenge" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Find out more</a>.Please note that specific IP arrangements are in place for funding applications made to Game Changers for ANSIC opportunities. More information can be found in our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gamechangers.technology/static/u/ANSIC%20funding%20FAQs%203.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ANSIC funding FAQs document</a>.

Advanced Nuclear Skills and Innovation Campus

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Part of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy's (BEIS)&nbsp;£505m Energy Innovation Programme, the Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme (AFCP) is investigating the role of advanced nuclear fuels and fuel cycles for a Net Zero future. With the UK Government committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, AFCP is laying the foundation from which Britain can maximise its current capability, meet Net Zero and continue deploying sustainable fuel and recycling concepts through the future.Developed to help equip the UK with the right skills, technology and networks to achieve carbon neutrality, AFCP leverages cross-country collaboration and cutting-edge science to steer the direction of future energy systems.Led in partnership by BEIS and the&nbsp;UK's National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL),&nbsp;AFCP pioneers a uniquely collaborative approach to innovation. Uniting NNL’s unique nuclear infrastructure with the innovative skills and capabilities of more than 100 organisations across over 10 countries, AFCP is delivering a suite of fuel cycle science themes with measurable impact across Britain’s evolving low-carbon landscape.<h3>Fuel cycle themes</h3>AFCP is divided into 11 distinct themes covering Advanced Nuclear Fuels through to Advanced Recycling and Sustainability.&nbsp;Together, these themes span the nuclear fuel cycle to enable future nuclear innovation and deployment in the UK.&nbsp;Advanced nuclear fuels<ul><li>Accident tolerant fuel: AFCP is elevating advanced technology fuels to realise their full range of benefits, fabricating and testing safe, affordable fuels of the future.</li><li>Coated particle fuel: advanced kernel technology has become increasingly valuable for high-temperature reactor conversations. </li><li>Fast reactor fuel: pioneering fast reactor technologies for more energy-efficient reactors. AFCP is investigating test fuel for fast reactor technologies and transuranic materials handling techniques.</li><li>Nuclear data: improving nuclear data to make energy analysis more insightful and accurate than ever before. </li></ul>Advanced recycling and sustainability<ul><li>Aqueous recycle: efficient recycling of water-based by-product is essential to reduce the amount and radiotoxicity of nuclear material.</li><li>Off gas capture: minimising the environmental impact of advanced recycling while ensuring industry can effectively meet regulation standards.</li><li>Pyro-processing: understanding the chemical and physical changes that can transform used nuclear reactor material into new fuel. </li><li>Waste immobilisation technologies: developing innovative technologies to safely store solid material for generations to come. </li><li>Solvent and effluent treatment: exploring alternative ways of safely treating solvent and effluents resulting from the reprocessing of spent nuclear material in a sustainable, resource-efficient manner. </li><li>Pyro waste: developing technological innovations around safely reprocessing molten salt material. This work develops UK expertise through enhanced understanding of the fuel cycle. </li><li>Fast reactor fuel recycle: developing efficient plutonium recycling routes to reduce raw material usage. Efficiently managing fast reactor material will ensure a sustainable fuel cycle. </li></ul>

Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme

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Magnox is responsible for the safe and secure clean-up of 12 nuclear sites across the UK, including ten former electricity generating stations and two research sites, and the operation of one hydro-electric plant.Following defuelling of the sites, our work now is as diverse as it is challenging as we pioneer the use of innovative techniques to accelerate decommissioning and clean-up.It is a complex process, bringing together many conventional challenges such as asbestos removal and asset management, as well as characterisation, processing and packaging of radioactive waste, land remediation and ultimately removal of reactor cores.Many of the challenges being faced by Magnox are firsts of a kind, meaning our work is constantly pioneering and continually looking for ways of sharing best practice and seeking improvement.We work hand in hand with our supply chain to transform the tools and techniques used to deliver this important work; growing our expertise in areas such as robotics, virtual reality and digital technology which will ultimately offer significant benefits to the UK and beyond.