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Non-invasive strategies for the mobilisation and washout of radioactive heels and residues from vessels and pipework

Funding
Funded
Study mode
Full-time
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Start date
Year round
Subject area
Engineering
How to apply
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Overview

Within this project, you will advance operational effectiveness and enhance sustainability of decommissioning operations of the UK legacy nuclear sites. You will achieve so by using state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and cutting-edge, high-performance software for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Your activities as a Postgraduate student will include: working in contact with the Nuclear Decommissioning authority (NDA), a placement at the SLC or the supply chain (e.g.: Sellafield ltd), and participating to SATURN CDT’s activities.

About this opportunity

Nuclear sludge is a radioactive product of corrosion/degradation of spent nuclear fuel and associated materials in aqueous environments (for instance, spent fuel ponds), along with chemical precipitates, fission products and organic contaminants. Safe decommissioning demands the removal of nuclear sludge residues and consolidated heels from complex pipeworks. However, removal operations are complicated by the complexity of the pipeworks, the difficulty of inspecting them, and nuclear sludge’s complex flow characteristic like adhesiveness and non-Newtonian rheology, which are poorly understood because nuclear sludge’s radioactivity prevents from performing effective characterization.

Your aim will be to produce effective nuclear sludge removal protocols based on flushing pipeworks with ad-hoc flushing solutions, at controlled flow rates. You will achieve this aim through a series of activities involving labwork, numerical modelling and designing of flushing protocols:

Labwork:

  • Develop harmless test solutions to replicate the rheological behavior of radioactive sludge
  • Develop high-viscosity flushing solutions for improved removal of consolidated heels
  • Characterize scourability of settled material from the test solutions, in reduced-complexity lab tests (straight pipe flow, with a flushable solution)
  • Test high-viscosity flushing solutions to evaluate their effectiveness in mobilizing consolidated sludge.

Numerical modelling:

  • Use advanced CFD techniques (the Lattice-Boltzmann method and, specifically, OpenLB) to model flow patterns in complex pipework
  • Perform Lattice-Boltzmann simulations on GPUs of a pipe network for nuclear purposes
  • Validate models against experimental data to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Design of flushing protocols:

  • Develop and validate flow protocols for pipework with varying levels of complexity, aiming to minimize residual deposits
  • Provide design recommendations that will inform the Best Available Techniques (BAT) for the nuclear industry.
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Who is this for?

Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2.1 honours degree or a master’s (or equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering related discipline.

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How to apply

  1. 1. Contact supervisors

    Please complete the SATURN CDT Application Enquiry Form. We strongly recommend you contact the project supervisor after completing the form to speak to them about your suitability for the project. You can find their details on Centre’s website.

    If your qualifications meet our standard entry requirements, the CDT Admissions Team will send your enquiry form and CV to the named project supervisor.

    Our application process can also be found on our website: EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Skills And Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear (SATURN). If you have any questions, please contact 

    Project supervisors

  2. 2. Prepare your application documents

    You may need the following documents to complete your online application:

    • A research proposal (this should cover the research you’d like to undertake)
    • University transcripts and degree certificates to date
    • Passport details (international applicants only)
    • English language certificates (international applicants only)
    • A personal statement
    • A curriculum vitae (CV)
    • Contact details for two proposed supervisors
    • Names and contact details of two referees.

  3. 3. Apply

    Finally, register and apply online. You'll receive an email acknowledgment once you've submitted your application. We'll be in touch with further details about what happens next.

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Funding your PhD

This project is part of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Skills And Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear (SATURN). The EPSRC funded Studentship will cover full tuition fees at the Home student rate and a maintenance grant for 4 years, starting at the UKRI minimum of £20,780 pa. for 2025-2026. The Studentship also comes with access to additional funding in the form of a research training support grant which is available to fund conference attendance, fieldwork, internships etc.
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Contact us

Have a question about this research opportunity or studying a PhD with us? Please get in touch with us, using the contact details below, and we’ll be happy to assist you.

Dr Davide Dapelo
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