Nubu – Nuclear Bangor University

Nuclear Security, and Regulation Research

Security and regulation research at the Nuclear Futures Institute supports the safe, secure, and responsible use of nuclear technology. The work addresses nuclear safety, security, safeguards, and regulatory frameworks, combining technical expertise with policy and risk analysis to inform best practice and decision-making. 

Our latest reasearch projects

Regulation of Fusion Power Plants for Global Deployment

Principle Investigator:  Prof Laurence Williams OBE

Sponsor: Clean Air Task Force

Researcher: Dr Mehdi Ghardi

An Investigation Into the Potential for the Deployment of a Tritium Production Industry

Principle Investigator:  Prof Laurence Williams OBE

Sponsor: UKAEA

Researcher: Dr Edward Harris

Enhanced Methodologies for Advanced Nuclear System Safety 'eMEANSS'

Principle Investigator:  Prof Simon Middleburgh

Sponsor: EPSRC

Researcher: Dr Robert Annewadnter

Understanding how fusion power plants can be effectively regulated is essential to their commercial deployment as low-carbon energy sources. As part of the Clean Air Task Force Global Fusion Programme, Nuclear Futures Institute research focuses on assessing fusion plant hazards and developing robust regulatory frameworks covering safety, security, safeguards, and environmental protection. The Bangor University team supports this work through technical hazard assessment, regulatory and licensing analysis, and evaluation of policy issues, helping to ensure risks to workers and the public are acceptably low and that fusion power gains confidence from policymakers and the public.

 
 

This project investigates the feasibility of producing tritium at the industrial scale required to support the deployment of fusion power so that fusion power plants would not have to breed their own tritium. The longer-term vision is for the UK to create a tritium production industry that could service both the UK and global fusion power industry’s need. In the shorter term it is recognised that STEP, other UK and international small spherical Tokamak reactors and private fusion endeavours will need tritium supplies for their early year operations.

This project is developing a multidisciplinary framework for uncertainty quantification across reactor physics, structural integrity, and fuel performance. The framework will support improved design, safety, and licensing of both new and existing nuclear systems by reducing uncertainty, minimising costly testing, and enabling more efficient regulatory approval of advanced reactors and fuels.

Lithium Facility by Oxford Sigma for Fusion 'LIFTOFF'

Principle Investigator:  Prof Simon Middleburgh

Sponsor: Oxford Sigma

Researcher: Dr James Macdonald

Development of Coated Particle Fuels

Principle Investigator:  Prof Simon Middleburgh

Sponsor: UK National Nuclear Lab

Researcher: Dr Phylis Makurunje & Dr Ritesh Mohun

'NSIP' Fuel Development

Principle Investigator:  Prof Simon Middleburgh

Sponsor: Rolls Royce plc

Researcher: Dr Phylis Makurunje & Dr Ritesh Mohun

Oxford-Sigma are leading a consortium of organisations to design, build and operate a molten lithium testing facility to assess materials for fusion power systems as part of the UKAEA SBRI bid. Bangor University is leading the build and operate phase of this £1.2m project, receiving £420k to design, host and operate the lithium testing facility. Bangor University is building on extensive expertise in designing, building and operating large rigs, including those working with liquid metals (e.g. the Bangor University Lead Loop for Erosion/corrosion Testing – BULLET). The lithium loop will be commercialised and made available to external organisations to use to gain data to license fusion power systems.

We are developing coated particle nuclear fuel with the focus on the manufacture of advanced kernels in these key areas: incorporation of the burnable absorber Gd2O3 into UO2 and UCO kernels. This involves the manufacture and characterisation of kernels, to assess the distribution and behaviour of the Gd once incorporated into the fuel. This will address the need for neutron absorber materials in High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor fuel, allowing for higher enrichments and fissile density fuels. The Gd distribution will impact the material’s thermophysical properties, and understanding the role of Gd in UCO will be novel. Simulated fuel (SIMFUEL) burnup of Tri – Structural Isotopic particles will allow the interaction of the fission products with carbon and other TRISO coatings to be assessed. Neutronics calculations are being used to generate a typical fission product inventory which will be incorporated into a fuel kernel before assessing behaviour of the fission product-containing fuel with the matrix and coating materials.

Controlling and verifying the homogeneity and distribution of fissile material within fuel is essential. Additive manufacturing methods offer the potential for local control of this distribution within a fuel pellet or compact. In addition, typical means to assess homogeneity may be a destructive sample-based inspection, or through limited non-destructive methods. Rolls-Royce are supporting research in this area through this project which is targeted at space reactor applications.

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