A team of McMaster students is collecting key data around the core of an operational nuclear reactor using a customized underwater drone.
Engineering physics students Gavin Cabral, Saarthak Midha and Byron Josipovic have spent the past few months working on a first-of-a-kind student research project at the McMaster Nuclear Reactor (MNR).
In collaboration with MNR’s operations team, the students measured radiation dose rates in the reactor pool to support ongoing data collection and maintenance planning at the facility.
It’s all done via ROV — a remote operating vehicle outfitted by the students and tested at MNR this spring.
Students lowered the device 25 feet into the reactor pool, where they captured valuable radiation measurements.
Cabral says the goal of the project was to test a new way to accurately survey radiation dose rates in the pool, which are typically gathered using a variety of fixed and portable instruments.
“During the test run, we were able to successfully launch the drone and use it to create a map of the radiation dose rates near the thermal column,” he says.
The thermal column is located next to the reactor core. Historically, it’s been used to slow down neutrons produced by the core, making them usable for research. Plans are underway to replace this legacy component with two new neutron beam ports, expanding MNR support for cutting-edge materials research.
Using a position-determining system they designed themselves, the students were able to pinpoint exact locations in the pool where the drone detected different levels of radiation, says Josipovic.
“We equipped the drone with a gamma detector and attached bright pink golf balls so we could easily track its position. Using two fixed underwater cameras and a tagged reference point that we placed near the bottom of the pool, we were able to map radiation levels in the pool in 3D,” he says.
Josipovic says one of the biggest technical challenges the team faced was ensuring the underwater cameras were thoroughly waterproofed for deployment in the ultrapure water of the reactor pool.
“Another challenge was maintaining reliable colour-based detection as the ROV descended into the pool’s darker depths,” he says.
With support from their supervisor, Adrian Kitai, and experts at MNR and McMaster’s Health Physics team, the students successfully completed the test run, collecting valuable data to support reactor operations.
The project was an opportunity to take the theoretical concepts the students learned about in class and apply them to a real-world test case, says Midha.
“Working on Rad-Map helped me develop my ability to think quickly and adapt to unforeseen challenges that arose during the design, testing and deployment process,” he says.
Built in 1959, MNR is Canada’s largest nuclear research reactor. It supports research in clean energy, nuclear medicine, materials science and more, while supplying the world with life-saving medical isotopes.
It also provides valuable experiential learning opportunities for students in engineering and science, says Derek Cappon, Director of Reactor Operations and Maintenance.
“This was a great chance for students to develop hands-on research skills and take the lead on a truly impactful project. The data collected from Rad-Map will be instrumental as we plan the expansion of MNR’s neutron beams. The students’ drone mapping system opens doors for the future in terms of how we collect measurements in the depths of the reactor pool,” he says.