The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and Rolls-Royce SMR have partnered on a new project to investigate safe automated reactor operation for nuclear-powered small modular reactors (SMRs).
SMRs offer an affordable approach to nuclear power generation – with the potential to support the UK’s net zero ambitions. When developing SMRs, there is a need for automated analytical capabilities to minimise onsite lab testing, reduce waste, the footprint of the site, as well as capital and operational costs.
The NPL-led project is investigating the potential of using inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry (a technique for measuring the elemental composition of samples) for the automated measurement of the constituents in different water chemistries within a Rolls-Royce SMR as an indicator of reactor operating conditions.
NPL’s team of nuclear scientists has been working for several years to develop traceable techniques for the rapid and repeatable detection of stable and radioactive pollutants for use in a range of nuclear scenarios, including decommissioning, environmental monitoring and nuclear forensics. The advantages of the mass spectrometric technique have been widely published and include simultaneous measurement of multiple elements; rapid measurement time of several minutes per sample; little or no sample preparation and reduced analyst time. The NPL Rolls-Royce SMR project offers an opportunity to apply tried and tested techniques to the safe and effective operation of SMRs.
NPL’s work with Rolls-Royce SMR aligns with its strategy to enable new energy sources and achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions. The work also contributes to wider ambitions to embed metrology (the science of measurement) into the next generation of nuclear energy before they become operational, to ensure ongoing national resilience for nuclear technologies.
For more information visit Rolls-Royce SMR’s website