operational experience with libs in the uk nuclear ... presentation at iaea 7-11 jul...

© 2001 – 2008 Applied Photonics Ltd, Unit 8, Carleton Business Park, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 2DE, U.K.

Operational Experience with LIBS in the UK Nuclear Industry –

Proven Applications and Future Potential

Dr Andrew WhitehouseApplied Photonics Ltd

Unit 8, Carleton Business ParkSkipton, North Yorkshire

BD23 2DE, U.K.www.appliedphotonics.co.uk

Presentation Overview

• Introduction

• Overview of APL’s products and services

• Review of nuclear applications of LIBS conducted by APL

• Brief overview of APL’s work on Stand-Off LIBS for US DOD

• APL’s perspective on future potential of LIBS for nuclear

• Summary

© 2001 - 2008 Applied Photonics Ltd, Unit 8, Carleton Business Park, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 2DE, U.K.

Introduction

Andrew I. Whitehouse

• 1998 – Present Founder / Managing Director, Applied Photonics Ltd (APL)

• 1992 – 1998 Technical Manager, Radiometric Physics Group, BNFL, Sellafield, UK

• 1991 – 1992 Post Grad Research Assistant, Dept. of Physics, University College Swansea, UK

• 1987 – 1991 PhD (funded by UKAEA), Dept. of Physics, University College Swansea, UK

• 1986 – 1987 Prod. Manager (Fibreoptics), International Computers Ltd, Manchester, UK

• 1983 – 1986 BSc (Physics with Laser Physics), Dept. of Physics, University College Swansea, UK

• 1980 – 1983 Laboratory Technician, Union Carbide, Swansea, UK

• 1978 – 1980 Engineering Toolmaker, British Leyland, Swansea, UK


APL’s products and services

UK-based privately-owned SME company specialising

in industrial and security applications of LIBSProducts:• LIBSCAN product range

• LIBSProbe

• ST-LIBS range of stand-off LIBS systems

• LIBS Workstation

• Opto-mechanical components and misc. hardware

Services:• Remote materials characterisation service to nuclear industry

• Contract Research & Development (e.g. feasibility studies etc)

• Design & Build Services (e.g. laboratory / industrial scientific equipment etc)

• Engineering machine shop services

• Mechanical and opto-mechanical engineering design services



LIBSCAN range of products


LIBSProbe range of products

Submersible fibre-optic LIBS probe



LIBS Workstation


Open-path Stand-Off LIBS system


Early design fibre-optic probe LIBS instrument

New product development



Remote materials characterisation service to nuclear industry

Contract Research & Development (e.g. feasibility studies etc)

Design & Build Services (e.g. laboratory / industrial scientific equipment etc)

Engineering machine shop services

Mechanical and opto-mechanical engineering design services

APL’s services


APL’s laboratory


APL’s machine shop


Nuclear applications of LIBS

• THORP reprocessing plant, Sellafield

• Hinkley Point and Hunterston AGR power stations

• Wylfa Magnox power station

• Calder Hall Magnox power station, Sellafield

A montage of images here?

Sellafield nuclear site, Cumbria, UK

© 2001 – 2008 Applied Photonics Ltd, Unit 8, Carleton Business Park, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 2DE, U.K.

Remote characterisation of spent-fuel residuesat the THORP nuclear reprocessing plant

Location: Basket Handling Cave (spent-fuel dissolution), THORP plant, Sellafield, Cumbria, United Kingdom

Inspection task: Characterisation of gross contamination

Environment: Hot Cell (HLW - on the order of 100 Sv/hr)

Location of material: Upper section of dissolver baskets

Access: Optical access via lead-glass shield window


In-situ compositional analysis of Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) steam generator tubes

Location: Superheaters, just below level of circular walkway above reactor core

Inspection task: Cu content of steam tube bifurcations

Environment: C3 / R4 areaGamma dose-rate: ~ 1.0 mSv/hrTemp: ~60°C

Location of tubes: Inside each superheater enclosure, near the top of the steam generators

Access: Access from pile-cap down 40 ft ladder to circular walkway. Down vertical access ladder between each steam generator


CAD view of an AGR Superheater


Deployment of LIBS fibre-optic probein AGR superheater



AGR video clip


In-situ compositional analysis of Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) steam generator tubes


Deployment of LIBS fibre-optic probe inAGR sub-boiler annulus

Wylfa (Magnox) nuclear power stationAnglesey, North Wales, UK


Remote identification of reinforcing bars and cooling water tubes at Wylfa (Magnox) power station


Deployment of LIBS instrument atWylfa (Magnox) Nuclear Power Station


Calder Hall (Magnox) Nuclear Power Station


Deployment of LIBS fibre-optic probe atCalder Hall (Magnox) Nuclear Power Station



Stand-Off LIBS (ST-LIBS) for IED detectionAPL’s contribution to US DoD projects

• First field demonstration – December 2004

• US Army Research Laboratory (ARL), Aberdeen Proving Ground

• Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organisation (JIEDDO)

• National Training Centre (NTC), Fort Irwin, California

• Yuma Proving Ground (YPG), Arizona

A montage of images here?

Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona (2004)ARL, Uni. Of Malaga, Ocean Optics, APL


Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona (2004)


ST-LIBS Generation 1US Army Research Laboratory


Image of Gen 1

ST-LIBS Generation 3 (“eye-safe”)US Army Research Laboratory


Image of Gen 3

ST-LIBS Generation 4ARL, BAE Systems – funded by JIEDDO


ST-LIBS Generation 4ARL, BAE Systems – funded by JIEDDO


Image of Gen 4

National Training Center, Ft Irwin, California


ST-LIBS Generation 4National Training Center, Ft Irwin, California


Future potential?


Open path Stand-Off LIBS instrument


Fibre-optic probe LIBS instrument


Submersible fibre-optic LIBS probe



LIBSCAN range of products


LIBSProbe range of products

New product development


Summary


• Over 10 years operational experience of LIBS applied to nuclear plants and environments

• Experienced in conventional nuclear material characterisation techniques, operating environments and safety procedures

• Proven track-record in design and manufacture of special LIBS instruments andsystems for niche applications

• In-house design, development and manufacturing facilities• Offering LIBS-based materials characterisation service to UK nuclear industry• Broad customer base:

operational experience with libs in the uk nuclear ... presentation at iaea 7-11 jul...

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