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To view full details and book your place, please visit the event website.
Please could you briefly explain your role, involvement, and experience with regards to Nuclear Ventilation and the IMechE’s 11th Nuclear Ventilation Conference?
Grant Hall (GH): At the 2023 IMechE Nuclear ventilation conference I will be presenting substantiation work on the characterisation of filter efficiency test points by testing on a replica model. This work was performed on a replica model as the actual plant to substantiate was in active service.
This work is part of the National Nuclear Ventilation Forums general work. The work on the characterisation of filter efficiency test points cumulated in the issue of national guidance on this subject in Sep 2022. This work had input from many technical experts from all parts of the industry making contributions. The NNVF is an excellent forum for discussing issues both complex and some more down to earth. An example of the less complex tasks discussed was in the handling and unpacking of HEPA filters.
The new NNVF guide on filter test point characterisation provides a good source of education on this subject, which was missing from the literature before. It also sets out the expectations for site commissioning to demonstrate that the test points are in the correct positions.
What, in your experience, has been the biggest roadblock for utilising innovative technologies in your sector?
GH: The Nuclear industry has traditionally been very conservative. This is for good reason as the cost to modify active plant increases exponentially, so the idea has usually been to use known technologies with a proven tract record.
What key topics are you excited to discuss at this year's conference?
GH: Looking at this year’s agenda there is a good variety of topics ranging from the basics of filter element manufacture to the more complex ventilation of small modular reactors. I’m sure the conference will provide a really good source of education at all levels.
What would you say are the technologies or applications to watch for the future?
GH: As mentioned before, the Nuclear industry likes to use proven equipment with a good track record. However, we all need to become more energy efficient and I’m sure the industry will need to adapt to make our process plant to be more fuel efficient. We also have an increasing cost for waste disposal, so I believe we will be spending more effort to understand the waste streams better and to provide waste in better forms to be as effective in terms of volumes, voidage and cost.
Who else are you most interested in hearing from on the programme?
GH: The programme looks good in many areas. I’m always surprised by the education you pick up at conferences.
Why is it important for engineers to join this conference?
GH: It important for every engineer to be exposed to continued learning experiences as part of their development, which I think this year’s conference covers a broad depth of topics at different levels. Although my day job exposes me to a variety of new topics and ideas, its always very interesting to hear about related topics, which although you may not seem too relevant at the time are likely to pop up later at work.
The Nuclear Ventilation 2023 conference takes place on 14-15 November in Manchester
Taking place every two years and now in its 11th successive iteration, this two-day conference is the only event of its kind that enables power industry professionals and engineering practitioners from all sectors of the nuclear community to stay abreast of developments in nuclear ventilation within the UK.
Join the conversation about current issues in the industry during panel sessions and contribute to shaping the future of nuclear ventilation: view full details and book your place on the event website.