NNUF-EXACT is a newly funded EPSRC facility within the University of Southampton, based at the National Oceanography Centre. The facility is now open for access by external users and for remote access (EXACT staff completing research on the users behalf).
NNUF-EXACT (Next Generation Accelerated Characterisation Technologies) aims to be a world-leading radiochemistry facility enabling research and training in accelerated nuclear characterisation and remediation technologies underpinning civil nuclear programmes, decommissioning and site clean-up and new nuclear infrastructure.
About
The National Nuclear Users Facility is a distributed centre of excellence in nuclear science and technology dedicated to the provision of national and internationally leading facilities. It has two core activities:
- Operation of key facilities needed to undertake research and development on the operation and future development of nuclear plant in the UK
- Training of the next generation of nuclear scientists in core skills and the use of modern equipment.
NNUF-EXACT aims to provide an easily accessible state-of-the-art test-bed facility and supporting infrastructure for research, technology development / validation and training in in-situ, on-site and off-site characterisation and remediation methods, including for complex / problem waste streams.
EXACT Objectives
To provide a state-of-the art, test-bed facility to support key research on accelerated nuclear characterisation and remediation technologies in response to current and future nuclear sector challenges;
To enable the development of automated and rapid measurement techniques for in-situ, on-site and off-site radionuclide measurement;
To stimulate the development of technologies and enhanced methodologies for separation, characterisation and remediation of complex waste forms including oils, sludges, and reactive metals;
To promote monitoring and characterisation technology transfer from the non-nuclear sector by facilitating testing of novel technologies in a nuclear relevant environment;
To lead in the development of robust method testing and validation processes for in-situ and on-site characterisation;
To provide a comprehensive training platform for the next generation of radiochemists, site engineers and other nuclear professionals;
To act as a focal point for international collaboration in the field of radionuclide separation, radioanalytical chemistry, characterisation and remediation technologies.
Key benefits to using the NNUF-EXACT facility
Accessible workspace and supporting infrastructure. This enables new technologies and processes to be evaluated with ‘real’ nuclear relevant materials rather than non-active surrogates.
Assists Technology Readiness Level (TRL) progression. EXACT can assist with TRL development through the provision of flexible, user-configurable workspace combined with in-house analytical capability for validation and performance testing. Experienced academic and technical staff provide supporting expertise to users.
Reduce development risk profile. The EXACT facility is easily accessible and has lower operating costs when compared to larger facilities. This results in a reduced risk to the user during development compared to active trials conducted on a nuclear licensed site.
Nationally recognised academic and commercial support. Through a number of partner facilities, EXACT offers the user direct access to world-leading academic and commercial analytical capabilities and expertise including radioanalytical, mass spectrometric and physical characterisation techniques.
See more examples of how EXACT could benefit your R&D project on our case studies page.