To establish a university facility for simulated spent nuclear fuel (SIMFUEL) fabrication and characterisation that is unique within the UK higher education landscape, in order to drive and accelerate UK spent nuclear fuel research.
Reflecting the fuel used in the UK’s current Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors (AGRs) and Light Water Reactors (LWRs), and to be used in new build LWRs, UTGARD Phase II will focus on oxide SIMFUELs – although, with an eye to future fuel cycles, this will include Mixed Oxide (MOX) and ThO2-based fuels. This new facility is designed to extend and interact with Lancaster’s existing radiochemical lab for open sources, UTGARD, creating an effective synergistic single R&D facility and enabling research in the following themes:
1) Development of new, advanced sintering routes for the fabrication of SIMFUELs with porosities, fission product loadings, and defect microstructures that better simulate those of real spent nuclear fuel (UTGARD Phase II).
2) Behavioural studies of advanced SIMFUELs, as well as those prepared using conventional techniques, under a range of conditions relevant to the back end of the fuel cycle – including wet/dry interim storage, geological disposal and new reprocessing routes (UTGARD Phase I).
For all fabrication methods in theme 1, samples of each simulant created by UTGARD researchers and, with permission, by external users will be retained on-site, so creating a library of well characterised SIMFUELs for use by external researchers who do not wish to create their own materials.
Constructed in 2016, UTGARD laboratory is a ~120 m2 process chemistry laboratory for work on β/γ active fission products, uranium, thorium and low level alpha tracers.
UTGARD Phase II involves an extension to the existing UTGARD Laboratory, generating a further ~40 m2 of new laboratory space. As with the existing laboratory, UTGARD Phase II will be rated to the highest level of university open-source radiation protection, allowing for the handling of a wide variety of radioactive isotopes for use in SIMFUEL manufacture.
In our labs, you'll have access to state-of-the-art equipment designed with nuclear engineers in mind:
Ion Chromatograph with Anion and cation capability
Columns for lanthanide/actinide analysis
Gradient pump and 64-position autosampler
Attached mass spec detector with mass range 2-2000 amu
Max Temperature of 1800°C and working temperature of 1700°C
Capable of sintering under 100% hydrogen or mixes of nitrogen/argon and hydrogen
600 mm length heated zone
Thallium-activated, sodium iodide detector
Capable of up to 1000 samples (3 ml tubes) or 270 samples (20 ml tubes) throughput
Energy Range of 15-2000 keV
Maximum jar size of 220 ml
Range of air tight and non-air tight jars available
Large 4 port negative pressure glovebox for alpha active materials handling
Pass through ports for electrochemistry and UV-vis spectroscopy
Two port positive pressure glovebox for air-sensitive materials handling
Mini pellet pressing capable in both boxes
FTIR system with ATR and thin film stages
Capable of 7,800 to 350 cm-1 wavenumber range and 60,000:1 S/N ratio
UV-vis capable of 185 – 900 nm wavelength range or up to 1400 nm with integrating sphere
TgK Scientific Stop flow system – Allowing rapid measurement of reaction mixing kinetics
As part of the creation of this new NNUF facility, UTGARD Laboratory is now supported by a full time research officer, Dr Richard Wilbraham. Richard is an experienced Radiation Protection Supervisor and has been a part of many multi-partner nuclear research projects, including the national nuclear innovation program, SACSESS (and its follow-on project GENIORS) and the spent nuclear fuel consortium.
Centre for Global Eco-innovation , Doctorate Centre in Nuclear Engineering, Energy Lancaster, Energy Lancaster Nuclear, Nuclear
