THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2009
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The Daily Telegraph
NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY CAREERS IN THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY
For generations to come, nuclear fusion, rather than fission, could transform the way energy is created. Lila Rawlings explores the cutting-edge concept that looks set to revolutionise nuclear technology
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The fusion forecast Solutions for tomorrow: the world’s largest tokamak, a machine created to produce controlled fusion reactions, at the Culham Science Centre in Oxfordshire the Culham Science Centre in Oxfordshire, for example, you can find JET, which is currently the world’s largest tokamak (machine designed to produce controlled fusion reactions in hot plasma). JET stands 10 metres high, and is at least as wide. Doughnut-shaped, it is the machine engineered to confine burning plasma within a magnetic field. This creates the environment for nuclear fusion by simulating the reactions and temperatures inside the sun. MARTIN O’BRIEN IS MANAGER OF THE UK FUSION PROGRAMME RUN BY THE UK ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY. HERE HE GIVES THE LOW-DOWN ON THE FUTURE OF FUSION DEVELOPMENT. Q. Why is nuclear fusion such an exciting area for graduates? A. “Graduates are attracted to fusion because it is a challenging field that uses state-of-the-art equipment with lots of scope for innovation. It’s multidisciplinary, and, in particular, it’s addressing a major need — clean energy. People see it as a rewarding area to be in, where you can help to ‘save the planet’. There are precious few large-scale, non-carbon options for electricity generation, but fusion is one of them.” Q. It is said that practical nuclear fusion is 40 years away, and always will be. Is that so? A. “The technical challenges are much more difficult than initially expected, but there have also been political decisions, or a lack of decisions, which has slowed things down significantly. I’d say that in 30 years, if ITER goes well, we might see prototype demonstration [fusion] power stations being built that could put electricity in the grid, not just in the West but also in countries such as China or Korea.” materials scientists to come up with substances that can take the very high power loads. It also needs a lot of investment and governments worldwide are now providing this, most notably through the ITER project.” Q. Why would nuclear fusion power plants be better than renewables or nuclear fission? A. “We need renewables as well, but apart from solar power, there just isn’t the capacity to satisfy global demand. We need a push on everything, and that includes research. Also, the waste from nuclear fusion is much less potent than from nuclear fission power stations, and it dies away much more rapidly — within decades rather than hundreds or thousands of years.”
Nuclear capability is also deployed underwater. Natasha Mann looks at the latest submarines
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BELOW THE SURFACE will be phased in to replace the Swiftsure and Trafalgar classes and will operate from the naval base of Faslane on the Clyde. BAE Systems Submarine Solutions now has around 5,000 employees involved in delivering the Astute class of submarines. “The process behind designing and constructing these submarines has been described in many quarters as one of the world’s most challenging engineering projects,” says a company spokesman. “They are the most sophisticated submarines of their type ever ordered by the Royal Navy and, as such, the programme requires skills of the highest calibre to meet the Navy’s demands. The complexity of the submarine is reflected in the diversity of roles required to build one — from steelworkers and pipe fitters to supply chain managers and engineers, every employee has a vital part to play. “The submarines will perform a multitude of tasks and can be deployed in all waters, from arctic to tropical, which means they will be a cornerstone of the UK’s defence capability.” Astute will be powered by a Rolls-Royce nuclear reactor and a pump-jet propulsor. For the past 50 years, Rolls-Royce has been the technical authority for the UK Nuclear Steam Raising Plant, which powers all Royal Navy submarines. Carrying out such highly specified work requires a wealth of expertise and there is a demand for a range of skilled professionals, including design engineers, stress engineers, electrical engineers, controls engineers, systems engineers, physicists and thermo fluids engineers. The Vanguard class of submarines, which were also built in Barrow, carry Britain’s Trident nuclear missiles. In 2007 the decision was taken to renew the UK’s nuclear deterrent, and Rolls-Royce has begun to develop design requirements for a new propulsion plant using the latest nuclear engineering skills. At the keel-laying event in March for the fourth Astute-class submarine, Audacious, Secretary of State for Defence, John Hutton MP, said: “The Royal Navy has a long-term and enduring requirement for nuclear-powered submarines and the Barrowin-Furness yard remains the UK’s centre of excellence for submarine building. “Submarines are extremely demanding engineering projects and the Astute class is no exception. The skills, expertise and commitment of the Barrow workforce are absolutely fundamental to the success of the Astute programme.”
hen it comes to the future of nuclear energy, the watchword is nuclear fusion, or joining of nuclei. If scientists can make this technology work (as opposed to nuclear fission, or splitting the nucleus, which is used in power stations at the moment), then problems such as what to do with radioactive waste will be greatly reduced. “Using deuterium from sea water and lithium as its main fuel source, fusion is an environmentally clean power source that should produce minimal greenhouse gases and long-lived radioactive waste materials,” says Professor Dame Julia Higgins, Principal at the Faculty of Engineering, Imperial College London. “Nuclear fusion projects such as the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) project in France, JET (Joint European Torus) in Oxfordshire and the European HiPER (High Power Laser Energy Research) project, which the UK hopes to host, will all offer possible solutions for tomorrow by demonstrating the viability of nuclear fusion.” Fusion is not yet a viable technology, but research centres across the UK and Europe are working hard to get us there. At
‘Fusion is addressing a major need — clean energy — so it is a rewarding area to be in’
Q. Who and what is needed to make nuclear fusion a reality? A. “At Culham we have about 450 employees across a wide range of disciplines, such as physics, engineering, administration, materials science and technicians, but we still need to bring in bright young people. We need more engineers (mechanical, electrical, nuclear, control), plus more bright physicists and also more
hen the Royal Navy’s latest submarine, HMS Astute (above), enters service, she will represent a prize possession in Britain’s flotilla of nuclear submarines. Patrolling the waters of the world and offering the Royal Navy prowess at sea, nuclearpowered submarines are faster than conventional models and can remain submerged for up to three months at a time. Built by BAE Systems Submarine Solutions division at its Barrow-in-Furness yard in Cumbria, Astute is a state-ofthe-art submarine. Equipped with the advanced 2076 sonar system, and offering greater stealth, more weapons-carrying capability and bunks for every member of the 98-man crew, she also has another great advantage — a nuclear reactor that won’t need refuelling during her lifespan. The biggest and most powerful attack submarine ever built for the Royal Navy, she is 320ft long and displaces 7,800 tons of water when submerged. Astute is the first of a planned seven-strong class of the same name, and will be followed by Ambush, Artful and Audacious, all under various stages of construction in Barrow. They
NUCLEAR SUBMARINES: A HISTORY 1954 The first nuclear submarine in the world, the American USS Nautilus, is launched. 1960 Launch of
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HMS Dreadnought, which is the first of the UK’s nuclear-powered submarines.
1968 Resolution class submarines enter service with Polaris, the UK’s first submarinelaunched nuclear deterrent.
1993 The first Vanguard class submarine is launched, armed with the Trident nuclear deterrent system.
2001 Work begins on HMS Astute, the first of the UK’s latest and most powerful class of attack submarines.
2007 HMS
Astute enters the water to begin the long process of dockside testing and sea checks.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2009 CAREERS IN The Daily Telegraph jobs.telegraph.co.uk J 3 Nuclear Industry The Thursday, June 4, 2009 jobs.telegraph.co.uk/ca Produced byTelegraph Special Reports SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Under construction: a worker checks the dimensions of a pipe in
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THE DAILY TELEGRAPH THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2009 jobs.telegraph.co.uk J 5 The Daily Telegraph NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY CAREERS IN THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY For generations to come, nuclear fusion, rather than fission, could transform the way energy is created. Lila Rawlings explores the cutting-edge concept th
J 6 jobs.telegraph.co.uk THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2009 THE DAILY TELEGRAPH CAREERS IN THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY NUCLEAR INDUSTRY FORUM The Daily Telegraph Nuclear Forum forges ahead Next week’s gathering promises an exciting discussion of nuclear initiatives, career opportunities and the hunt for cleaner
