| GLOBAL NUCLEAR


Probe rewrites Raman spec


Scientific breakthrough has created a powerful new tool for waste characterization


IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF RADIOACTIVE material and other hazardous substances is an essential requirement for the nuclear industry. At facilities undergoing decommissioning, there is a great


need for improved in-situ analytical capability so that fewer samples need to be transported for laboratory analysis. To achieve this, it is useful to have a wide range of sensors available in order to detect and identify as many potentially hazardous substances as possible. Jacobs, the global technical solutions company, and IS Instruments, a small tech business based in Kent in the U.K. which specializes in laser sensing technology, have developed a new class of spatial heterodyne Raman spectrometer and taken it from Technology Readiness Level 3 (TRL3) to TRL8. Mounted on a range of delivery platforms, including a robotic arm and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), the Raman probe can identify key substances of interest to the nuclear industry from a distance of up to three metres. Radioactive materials and other chemical substances


Below: The Raman probe can be mounted on an ROV


can be identified through Raman spectroscopy, but because of the challenging nature of the environment, instruments often cannot be located close to the target substance. So, although Raman spectroscopy is a well-established and


effective technology, it has been used very little in the nuclear industry. Although compact and low cost, the technology can


detect substances known to be associated with corrosion in one-minute observations up to ranges of three metres. The instrument is fibre-coupled, allowing elements that


are sensitive to radiation or other potentially damaging environmental conditions to be mounted away from the hazard. With minimal nuclearization, this could allow the system to be deployed within a high radiation waste facility and yet produce limited secondary waste. The system has been tested in a representative


environment with observations made of a number of substances including cellulose, uranyl nitrate and mixed organic liquids such as tri-butyl phosphate and kerosene. Jacobs and IS Instruments successfully entered this new


Raman spectrometer into Innovate U.K.’s ‘Game Changers’ competition. The system was further developed and incorporated into a wider decommissioning platform during Jacobs’ participation in the U.K. Integrated Innovation for Nuclear Decommissioning (IIND) competition, which was supported by Innovate U.K., the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Sellafield Ltd. During the full scale demonstration phase of the IIND


project, the technology was deployed via a robotic arm in a full scale mock-up of a Sellafield fuel separations cell where it successfully demonstrated its ability to scan the internals of the cell, and using bespoke machine learning algorithm software, detect and accurately identify a range of substances of interest to the nuclear industry. The feedback from a panel of expert assessors was that the characterization technologies, and in particular the Raman technology, was of high maturity and gave a clear demonstration of the importance and usefulness of high quality in-cell characterization to decommissioning planning and operations. Jacobs and IS Instruments have recently completed an


assessment of the technology to quantify the presence of cellulose and other key chemicals in nuclear waste packages allocated for geological disposal for a nuclear industry client outside of the U.K.. The ability to detect and quantify cellulose is essential due to the degradation products’ ability to enhance the solubility of radionuclides within the waste material. Data from this project demonstrates the ability of the system to characterize and quantify cellulose within a cement matrix. The performance so far of this simple, low cost and


robust technology shows that it can help in solving a number of complex nuclear industry characterization challenges for both U.K. and international clients. ■


To learn more: mike.wharton@jacobs.com 16 |


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