STFC IAA Glasgow
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Glasgow
Department Name: School of Engineering
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Margaret Lucas (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Clarkson A
(2022)
Muon Imaging Applications for Nuclear Waste Management andDecommissioning
in JOURNAL FOR ADVANCED INSTRUMENTATION IN SCIENCE
Li X
(2022)
The pulse-elevator: A pump for granular materials
in Acta Astronautica
Li X
(2022)
Autonomous and ultrasonically assisted drilling in a range of rocks and ice
in Ultrasonics
Li X
(2022)
Ultrasonic augers for improved transport of granular materials
in Acta Astronautica
| Description | High Growth Spinout Programme - Lomond Instruments |
| Amount | £200,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Scottish Enterprise |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | MachLab |
| Amount | £227,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | UK Space Agency |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | MoMIS - Mobile Muon Imaging System |
| Amount | £333,700 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ST/V002260/1 |
| Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2021 |
| End | 02/2023 |
| Description | Small Scale Gamma Spectrometry System |
| Amount | £39,210 (GBP) |
| Organisation | National Nuclear Laboratory |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | Partnership with British Antarctic Survey |
| Organisation | British Antarctic Survey |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Granular materials appear to be easy to manipulate on a small scale, but they can prove to be difficult in bulk. It is easy to push a probe a few centimetres into sand, for example, but the resistive force quickly increases and further penetration becomes impossible. This is because dendritic chains of individual grains will develop, and these can carry the pressure of the penetrator into the diffuse far-field. The University of Glasgow published the first comprehensive study of ultrasonically-assisted penetrators for granular materials in 2017. These penetrators are tuned to vibrate at a high frequency, but with an extremely low amplitude. This movement is sufficient to disrupt the chains of particles so that forces cannot be easily transmitted. The granular material in contact with the penetrator behaves almost as a fluid skin, facilitating progress into the medium. The force required to access a granular material with ultrasonic assistance can be reduced by an order of magnitude, with further reductions in the overall power requirement. This collaboration will enhance the British Antarctic Survey's access to other subglacial environments, namely the granular sediment at the bottom of subglacial lakes. This will require the ruggedisation of our lab-based ultrasonic penetrators for deployment in the field. |
| Collaborator Contribution | British Antarctic Survey will support the development of the tool by detailed interactions with its pool of science engineers and science teams. The tool will then form a key component of bids to explore subglacial lakes through NERC International Partnerships. |
| Impact | - |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Partnership with Dounrey Site Restoration |
| Organisation | Dounreay Site Restoration Limited |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The Nuclear Physics Group at the University of Glasgow are world-renowned researchers of muography, a passive inspection and monitoring technique that uses natural radiation in the form of cosmic-ray muons, to shed unique light on some of the most complex structures on the planet. This technique is used globally for applications that prohibit the effective use of conventional forms of non-destructive testing (e.g., X-rays, ultrasound etc.) including in volcanology, archaeology, and civil infrastructure integrity monitoring. The applicants have led the University's research since 2010 under Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) funding to develop muography for nuclear waste container inspection. This has since been commercially deployed on the Sellafield site by spin out Lynkeos Technology in partnership with National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL). This multi-award-winning technology is a high-powered, planar, permanent installation and unsuitable for applications requiring point-of-inspection analysis in remote locations. The University team are currently developing next-generation portable muography capabilities for ageing reinforced concrete infrastructure monitoring including bridges and buildings. Research includes the development of low-power detectors, custom electronics, and additive manufacturing techniques. |
| Collaborator Contribution | This project will design, construct, and test a borehole system using technologies and techniques developed under STFC CLASP funding. This would raise the borehole technology from TRL2 to TRL4. Lynkeos Technology will industrialise the system and Dounrey Site Restoration will facilitate field trials. |
| Impact | University of Glasgow spin out company Lynkeos Technology Ltd. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Partnership with National Nuclear Laboratory |
| Organisation | National Nuclear Laboratory |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The Nuclear Physics Group at the University of Glasgow are world-renowned researchers of muography, a passive inspection and monitoring technique that uses natural radiation in the form of cosmic-ray muons, to shed unique light on some of the most complex structures on the planet. This technique is used globally for applications that prohibit the effective use of conventional forms of non-destructive testing (e.g., X-rays, ultrasound etc.) including in volcanology, archaeology, and civil infrastructure integrity monitoring. The applicants have led the University's research since 2010 under Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) funding to develop muography for nuclear waste container inspection. This has since been commercially deployed on the Sellafield site by spin out Lynkeos Technology in partnership with National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL). This multi-award-winning technology is a high-powered, planar, permanent installation and unsuitable for applications requiring point-of-inspection analysis in remote locations. The University team are currently developing next-generation portable muography capabilities for ageing reinforced concrete infrastructure monitoring including bridges and buildings. Research includes the development of low-power detectors, custom electronics, and additive manufacturing techniques. |
| Collaborator Contribution | NNL provide advice on detector designs and help to explore deployment of an industrialized system. |
| Impact | University of Glasgow spin out company Lynkeos Technology Ltd. |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Title | PARTICULATE TRANSPORT |
| Description | Patrick Harkness pulse elevator |
| IP Reference | |
| Protection | Patent / Patent application |
| Year Protection Granted | 2022 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | - |
| Title | Scintillating waveguide support apparatus |
| Description | Support apparatus 100 comprises one or more members 102, 104 provided with holes 106, 108, configured to receive and support scintillating waveguides in a crossed arrangement for detecting ionising radiation. The one or more members may comprise holes extending in a first and second e.g. perpendicular direction, possibly a member may be provided with holes in both directions (figure 1b). The members may be 3D-printed and made of a material suppressing scintillation cross-talk between waveguides. The members may abut against each other to form an e.g. tiled array to align at least some of the holes, allowing waveguides to slide in and pass through more than one member of the array, the members adapted to connect together with one or more dovetail keys (figures 3a-3c). Scintillating waveguides e.g. fibres may be removed for restoration or replacement on an individual basis, e.g. when damaged or worn out. |
| IP Reference | GB2583699 |
| Protection | Patent / Patent application |
| Year Protection Granted | 2020 |
| Licensed | Yes |
| Impact | Licensed to Lynkeos Technology for commercial exploitation. |
| Description | Dounrey site visit |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | - |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | UK Space Agency Launch Technology Press Release |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | UK Govt press release |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.gov.uk/government/news/lift-off-for-new-launch-technology-with-uk-space-agency-funding |