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Executive Summary: Unlocking Safer, Leaner Nuclear Operations through Advanced Modelling Tools

Institution: Imperial College London

Innovation Focus: Advanced mathematical tools to improve efficiency and safety

Sectors Impacted: Energy, Nuclear, Defence, Aerospace

The Industry Challenge

Nuclear and defence industries face mounting safety, regulatory, and cost pressures, particularly as infrastructure ages. Traditional defect assessment in critical components (e.g., submarines, nuclear plants) is expensive, overly conservative, and time-consuming—costing millions in inspection hours and downtime.

Imperial’s Solution: Precision Tools for a Safer, More Efficient Industry

Imperial College London developed a powerful suite of mathematical models and ultrasonic inspection tools that:

  • Rapidly assess defects in hard-to-access components
  • Improve the accuracy of safety assessments
  • Reduce costly over-conservatism in safety justifications

Key tools include:

DISPERSE

Industry-standard software for guided ultrasonic wave modelling

Pogo

A high-speed, GPU-powered finite element solver for complex geometries

Real-World Business Impact for representative end users

Nuclear & Energy

  • EDF Energy & Rolls-Royce Submarines cut the time and cost of defect assessments, avoiding millions in unnecessary safety justifications.
  • Improved inspection methods allow critical components to stay in service longer, supporting asset life extension for the UK’s nuclear fleet.

Defence & Submarine Safety

  • Supports the UK’s nuclear deterrent capability by ensuring submarine safety and availability.
  • Reduces downtime and risk for inspection teams operating in confined, hazardous environments.

Broader Industrial Reach

  • Tools are now licensed worldwide, generating commercial revenues.
  • Adopted in sectors beyond nuclear, including aerospace, oil & gas, and space exploration.

The Bottom Line: Measurable Cost & Safety Gains

Reduces man-hours in safety justifications by thousands, translating into millions in cost savings.

Streamlines compliance with regulators while ensuring best-in-class safety outcomes.

Supports global efforts to extend the safe operation of ageing nuclear plants and critical defence infrastructure.

Growth Opportunity

RCNDE’s multi-sector global industry network has already supported the growth and implementation of this breakthrough technology and, with increasing demand for safe life extension of energy and defence assets, these tools are positioned for further adoption in global nuclear markets, renewable energy (e.g., wind turbine blades), hydrogen infrastructure, and beyond.

The RCNDE Advantage

RCNDE has been instrumental in:

  • Sustained funding of foundational wave propagation research
  • Facilitating industrial partnerships with Rolls-Royce, EDF, and the UK nuclear sector
  • Supporting cross-sector dissemination and licensing pathways

Result

These tools aren’t just theoretical—they’re part of the UK’s national NDE infrastructure and now driving global transformation in safety-critical inspection.

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