Fuels, Reactors and Reprocessing
The Fuel, Reactors & Reprocessing capability consists of three teams providing technical support (commercial work, R&D, nuclear foresight & advice) to a wide range of customers including the UK government.
Post Irradiation Examination – Endoscopy
The Endoscopy team surveys in-pond fuel for damage and deposition at all 7 of the UK’s Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor power stations, operated by EDF-Energy. This provides EDF Energy with a large volume of data which they use for developing their safety case, and monitoring deposition on fuel pins. The data on carbon deposition informs reactor operations going forwards. This capability is unique in that the fuel can be examined soon after removal from the reactor, yielding a large quantity of information in a timely manner.
Customers: EDF Energy
Skills: The Endoscopy PIE team has several decades of experience in surveying fuel at all AGR power stations in the U.K, examining thousands of fuel pins a year, and latterly using in-cave condition monitoring examinations as a data comparison.
Facilities: Radiation hardened cameras, lowered via crane into AGR fuel elements in EDF’s fuel storage ponds, are powered using remote computer control systems. The primary containment (fuel can) condition can be assessed directly in pond, or the outer surface carbon deposit can be assessed and monitored, for trending purposes.
Collaborations: EDF Energy
