Nuclear Reactor Data Analytics: Improving the understanding of the existing and future health of the graphite cores in the UK

The nuclear power stations in the UK are reaching the latter stages of their operational lifetimes. As the reactors age, there is an increasing need to gather and process condition monitoring data which provides an indication of both current and future health of the reactor cores. A key indicator of the health of the power plant is the state of the graphite bricks that comprise the reactor cores. In the older stations, these components have entered a phase known as stress reversal, which may lead to the formation of new types of defect within the core.
This PhD position will sit alongside existing research funded by EDF Energy examining both online condition monitoring data and offline inspection data to provide automated decision support. The field of study will be the application of machine learning and data analytic techniques from data gathered from multiple different sources from operational nuclear plants within the UK, supplemented by relevant engineering knowledge, to improve the understanding of the existing and future health of the graphite cores in the UK. This position is part-funded by EDF Energy and will require the student to interface both with the academic team at Strathclyde, but also with EDF Energy engineers from the engineering centre at Barnwood and from the AGR stations around the UK.