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April’s session featured talks from Dr Ryan Seabright on Puncture resistant gauntlets, and Stephen McNulty on Mapping and monitoring corrosion of safety-critical ventilation systems. Recording available.

Game Changers lunchtime Technology Talks April 2024

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February's talk featured Sarah Bugby from Loughborough University and Sellafield's Jonathan Norman discussing&nbsp;Real-time gamma-optical imaging. Recording available.

Game Changers lunchtime Technology Talks February 2024

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Game Changers Technology Talk webinars are aimed at anyone who is interested in technical innovation in the nuclear industry, learning about cutting-edge research developments and understanding how the Game Changers programme helps solve challenges which can’t be met with off-the-shelf solutions.December's webinar featured the following talk:Laser speckle interferometry inspection of reinforced concrete structures - Laser Optical Engineering LtdProfessor John Tyrer, Managing Director of Laser Optical Engineering Ltd, gave a talk about laser speckle interferometry being used to identify subsurface and surface cracks in composites and concrete structures. The equipment used can work on areas up to 1m2 in near real-time and is a non-destructive technique. Results were presented from the successful Game Changers project, set up to identify cracks in concrete beams, mortar and solid walls on the Sellafield site. Quantitative information about the strain energy around the crack now lets technicians begin to identify residual life in the components, helping to determine what repair work needs to be considered.<h2>Watch the recording now:</h2><iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/891582539/"></iframe>

December's talk featured the use of laser speckle interferometry to identify subsurface and surface cracks in composite and concrete structures. Recording available.

Game Changers lunchtime Technology Talks December 2023

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Game Changers Technology Talk webinars are aimed at anyone who is interested in technical innovation in the nuclear industry, learning about cutting-edge research developments and understanding how the Game Changers programme helps solve challenges which can’t be met with off-the-shelf solutions.Scroll down for a link to a recording of this month's talks which featured:<h2>The creation, development and future of the FIRMArm modular equipment deployment device</h2>Access is a common issue in the nuclear decommissioning industry. Hazardous environments and hard-to-reach areas and buildings need to be inspected using safe, accurate and repeatable methods.Sheffield-based FIRMA Engineering have created FIRMArm, a flexible and cost-effective platform for use in the nuclear industry and beyond. The portable, easy-to-assemble, modular system can be tailored to each application, with quick assembly and no lifting equipment required. The segmented arm itself, which can extend more than 7m into a cell, can be fitted with an array of end-effectors, such as cameras, radiation monitors, suction devices and 3D scanners. The device is also able to deliver existing instruments and tools to remote locations, in a precise and stable manner.The FIRMArm talk will tell the story of development, from genesis to the present day, as well as touching on future work in the pipeline.<h2>Groundwater and contaminant passive flux estimates</h2>In this talk, Andy Gillett will outline the work conducted by GHD, in collaboration with Cavendish Nuclear, iFLUX and Sellafield, to help refine future groundwater remediation requirements at the Sellafield site.Conventional monitoring techniques of groundwater typically rely on a snapshot ‘spot monitoring’ approach, which may not fully represent groundwater conditions. This can result in a limited understanding of overall solute distribution and transport, leading to inefficient risk assessment and unsuitable remediation plans.Solute mass flux measurements can provide a technically more robust approach to assessing solute transport within groundwater. In this Game Changers funded project, GHD, in collaboration with Cavendish Nuclear, iFLUX and Sellafield, tested a new device using groundwater optimised to specific contaminants of concern. The innovative, simple, disposable device, which is left in-situ, has the potential to provide estimates of groundwater and contaminant flux using the existing borehole network at Sellafield.Key findings from the research conducted as part of this collaboration, along with comparisons to traditional methods and learning points, will be described in this talk.<h2>Watch the recording now:</h2><iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/838719448/"></iframe><h2>﻿</h2>

This month's talks featured the FIRMArm modular deployment device; and groundwater monitoring using passive flux. Recording available.

Game Changers lunchtime Technology Talks June 2023

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If you missed this month's talks and would like to catch up, there's a recording link available at the bottom of this page.Use of near-infrared photo spectrometry to identify and quantify organic compounds at distance and in restricted access locations - I﻿mperial College LondonDuring POCO operations, there is a growing need to identify organic compounds in liquids, cruds, and other solids. In particular, the detection of Tributyl Phosphate (TBP), Dibutyl Phosphate (DBP) and Odourless Kerosene (OK). The analysis of these compounds is often complicated due to the limited access to their location. Commonly, the liquids and solids of interest are located within vessels whose only access is via narrow, long lengths of pipework.Imperial College has developed a novel near-infrared spectrometry with miniaturised probes and extended fibre optic cables. This system allows at distance analysis of most organic compounds of interest (including TBP, DBP and OK). The probe and fibre optic cable can pass through pipes as narrow as 15mm ID over distances of at least 20m.The system can also be used to identify the presence and location of immiscible layers in vessels such as pneumercators.This talk will demonstrate how the novel NIR system can be deployed and used to characterise organic compounds during POCO operations.Contaminated concrete removal using controlled heat-induced spalling - The U﻿niversity of SheffieldIn this talk a team of researchers from The University of Sheffield will discuss the work undertaken within the Proof of Concept phase of the Game Changers project “Contaminated concrete removal using controlled heat-induced spalling”. The project proposes a novel approach to remove layers of contaminated concrete, using heat-induced spalling of concrete as the driving mechanism. Traditionally seen as an uncontrolled and undesirable mechanism in structural fire engineering, heat-induced spalling is here exploited to induce and control the removal of the contaminated concrete layer.Jointly funded by Sellafield Ltd and Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd, The University of Sheffield’s proof of concept project focussed on understanding the main challenges, advancing the proposed technology and producing a prototype system.The talk will outline the proposed technology, highlight scientific and technological challenges and discuss opportunities for further development.<iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/813243916/"></iframe>

This month's talks featured near-infrared photo spectrometry and contaminated concrete removal

Game Changers lunchtime Technology Talks March 23

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To view the presentations from the event please click on the links below:<a href="https://www.gamechangers.technology/static/u/Robin.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Importance of Robotics and Innovation in Nuclear Decommissioning</a>- Robin Ibbotson, Chief Technology Officer, Sellafield Ltd and Chris Ballard,Robotics and AI Programme Manager, Sellafield Ltd<a href="https://www.gamechangers.technology/static/u/Nottingham.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">COBRA: Industrial to Medical Surgery</a>- Abdelkhalik Mohammed Assistant Professor in Mechatronics, University of Nottingham<a href="https://www.gamechangers.technology/static/u/AWS.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Build for the Future: Cloud Innovation for the Nuclear Industry Amazon Web Services (AWS)</a>- Maria King, Account Manager, AWS&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gamechangers.technology/static/u/Game%20Changers%20WS.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Game Changers - a success story</a>- Frank Allison, CEO FIS360 Ltd James Hill, Director, Eadon Consulting Ltd Alex Allen, Technical Lead, Sellafield Ltd<a href="https://www.gamechangers.technology/static/u/Game%20Changers%20Challenge.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Launch of Game Changers challenge Asset Inspection Through 19mm Diameter Access Ports</a>- David Hargreaves, Technical Specialist, Sellafield Ltd Stephen Israel, Spent Fuel Management Technical, Sellafield Ltd Karim Bahou, Project Manager, FIS360 LtdAutonomous Sort and Segregation of Nuclear Waste:<a href="https://www.gamechangers.technology/static/u/Barrnon.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barrnon Ltd</a><a href="https://www.gamechangers.technology/static/u/Atkins.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Atkins Ltd</a><a href="https://www.gamechangers.technology/static/u/RAI%20Event%20Programme%20F.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">VIEW THE FULL EVENT PROGRAMME AND AGENDA</a>About this event&nbsp;Join us to connect with the robotics and AI community, learn about the latest advancements in the sector and hear from inspirational keynote speakers from diverse industries. Through engaging discussions and hands-on insights, we will highlight how far we have come, the current challenges we are facing, and where we want to go as a community to make technology better for a safer world.&nbsp;&nbsp;What to expect:&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul><li>Stimulating panel discussions with leaders in the fields of robotics, AI and innovation&nbsp;</li><li>Inspirational exhibits&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>The launch of a new Game Changers challenge</li></ul>And of course, the chance to network with local and national businesses as well as academics working on new and novel solutions for robotics and AI in extreme environments.&nbsp;Event programmeThe agenda, speaker profiles, floor plan, list of exhibitors and descriptions of the workshops and breakout sessions can be viewed in the <a href="https://www.gamechangers.technology/static/u/RAI%20Event%20Programme%20F.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">full event programme</a>

Bringing together businesses, engineers and academics focussed on the development of robotics and AI solutions, the event will encourage cross-sector collaborations and stimulate ideas and future innovation

Events

Game Changers lunchtime Technology Talks April 2024

Game Changers lunchtime Technology Talks February 2024

Game Changers lunchtime Technology Talks December 2023

Game Changers lunchtime Technology Talks June 2023

Game Changers lunchtime Technology Talks March 23

Robotics and AI for extreme environments