Dani Kennedy
Our project is centred around creating a prototype model that measures seawater after interaction with biomass-filled sorbent bags within a container (batch). The prototype will down-scale the cooling seawater downstream from a nuclear power facility (cooling water pool) with the addition of sorption material. The composition of seawater and numerous sensors positioned after the sample will contribute to the analysis of uranium that has been sorbed onto the biomass in the contacted bags in the batch. The understanding that certain biomass species attract uranium particulates exposes a possibility of scaling the prototype to nuclear power stations in the UK. The detection of uranium contents in seawater via a self-designed: optical filter (covering a large spectrum where uranium presents the best absorption), photodiode detection of excited uranium emitted photons and transistor amplification circuit. This research has led to an exciting challenge of U emission lifetimes in seawater due to the formation of Uranyl Calcium Carbonate that may be analysed in detail. Discoveries made could aid in formulating new and exciting nuclear fuel extraction methods that are sustainable and fully renewable.