UK Atomic Energy Authority | RACE 2025 ANNUAL Contents: Introduction ................................................................................... 1 Robotics and fusion energy ......................................................... 2 RACE capabilities ......................................................................... 4 10 stories – supporting UKAEA goals 1 Supporting ITER for non-destructive pipe weld testing using Eddy Current Array Technology ................................ 8 2 Developing control algorithms for breeding blanket handling with EUROfusion ....................................10 3 Delivering the world's largest windowless hot cell for ESS in Sweden .................................................12 4 Collaborating with ITER to demonstrate maintenance of a critical safety system ..................................................14 5 Delivering the ESS safety system with Frazer Nash ........16 6 Enabling NavLive, a spinout from the University of Oxford, to grow through a collaborative project ..........18 7 Supporting early career engineers ................................... 20 8 Partnering with universities to accelerate innovation ..... 22 9 Inspiring the next generation of robotic engineers through RAICo ................................................................... 24 10 Helping STEM professionals to re-start their career........ 26 Introduction: I have been in post as RACE Director for over a year and I am delighted to introduce the RACE Annual. This is an opportunity to reflect upon and celebrate what our collaborations have achieved. Robotics and embodied AI are core to a successful, sustainable new energy economy. They give us a unique opportunity for learning from the past and to develop cost-effective systems that manage the whole lifecycle, from initiation, through operation and maintenance, to final decommissioning. There is no sector of that economy where that is more important than fusion, so I am really pleased in reading this document to see what our teams – teams involving industry, research centres, academia, and education providers – have achieved. These contribute to UKAEA's goals: to solve the challenges of fusion energy, to enable partners to build commercial fusion power plants, to support the success of industry, to create the places where this can happen, and to support the development of people in the fusion community. I hope that you, while reading this document, can see the value of these contributions and if you would like to get further involved with RACE, to join these teams, we would love to hear from you. Nick Sykes Director of RACE UK Atomic Energy Authority The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) is turning the process that powers the sun into low-carbon, safe and abundant electricity for a cleaner planet. At the UKAEA's centre for Remote Applications in Challenging Environments (RACE), we design, build and operate robotic systems for hazardous environments, working towards our goal: bringing fusion energy to the grid. A CRITICAL ENABLER: Fusion power plants will use robots for inspection, to replace critical components, to repair the heart of their machines, to continuously develop and improve their power generation systems. Robots will play a vital role in meeting our safety and regulatory commitments, minimising the cost of electricity through maximising availability, and minimising the cost of construction. Robot systems will also be needed to minimise the downstream liabilities for waste and decommissioning. We develop remote inspection, handling and processing solutions for the world's foremost fusion energy projects and collaborate on some of the most prominent engineering challenges of our generation. These challenges need innovative solutions and so we collaborate with industry, academia and like-minded institutions in the UK and around the world. Key Challenges Addressed: • High radiation: The neutron flux of a fusion machine creates short-lived activation products, and so radiation dose rates during maintenance activities may reach 3 kGy per hour. • Vacuum pressures: Maintenance activities need to protect the vacuum environment used in fusion, and operate in vacuum to maximise availability. • Extreme temperatures: Components in a fusion power plant will become extremely hot. Remote equipment will need to be deployed shortly after fusion conditions, and so may need to tolerate temperatures in the 100s of degrees Celsius. • Magnetic fields: Most fusion solutions use large magnetic fields to confine plasma; maintenance solutions need to manage residual magnetic fields and operate at high field to minimise downtime. • Limited access: Most fusion solutions need to maximise the area used for energy capture and fuelling, necessitating maintenance ports being long and narrow access ports with large and complex payloads. • Hazardous materials: Many fusion machines need to use challenging materials that can be corrosive, toxic and/or explosive. To bring fusion energy closer to reality, we closely collaborate with our partners by offering world-leading robotics capabilities. Enabling industry is one of our top priorities, and our team provides essential skills, knowledge and support when it comes to remote handling in extreme environments. RACE's core capabilities are: 1. ADVANCING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT: RACE contributes to world-leading applied research in remote handling for nuclear decommissioning through several collaborative programmes. The £12M LongOps project advanced remote handling technologies for decommissioning at JET, Sellafield and Fukushima Daiichi. As part of the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo), we are deploying robotic and AI technologies for faster, safer and more cost-effective decommissioning. 2. PROVIDING FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE: Situated on the UKAEA's campus in Oxfordshire, our facilities are amongst the best in the world for developing remote handling robotics. The RACE work hall includes reconfigurable robotic cells hosting a variety of equipment, multi-functional control rooms for remote operations trials and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) test lanes for unmanned vehicles. RACE also acts as the primary hub of the National Nuclear User Facility for Hot Robotics (NNUF-HR), supporting UK academia and industry. 3. DESIGNING, INTEGRATING AND DELIVERING SOLUTIONS: Beyond fusion, RACE supports international science projects such as the European Spallation Source (ESS), a neutron source being constructed in Sweden. RACE leads the delivery of the site's Active Cells Facility – the world's largest windowless hot cell – designing, specifying and commissioning the facility that will process irradiated waste. 4. DESIGNING FOR REMOTE MAINTENANCE: RACE plays a key role in international efforts to create a commercially viable fusion power plant, including the UK's STEP and Europe's DEMO fusion machines. In these projects, our engineers help define the remote handling requirements and incorporate them in the design of the plants themselves to ensure the plants can be operated and maintained. 5. CONDUCTING REMOTE OPERATION TRIALS: Our team has demonstrated and evaluated remote handling techniques and equipment using physical mock-ups for remote operations at JET, ITER, STEP and Europe's DEMO. By hosting the ITER Robotics Test Facility, we have reduced risk in ITER's planned interventions to ensure that this prominent international fusion research machine can be maintained over its operational lifetime. 6. EXECUTING REMOTE OPERATIONS: RACE's remote handling expertise stemmed from the need to design and operate remote handling equipment for the maintenance of the Joint European Torus (JET). Now, with over 30,000 hours of in-vessel operational experience, the RACE team provides training for remote handling teams in the UK, Sweden and Japan. The UKAEA mission is to lead the delivery of sustainable fusion energy and maximise the scientific and economic benefit. RACE plays a pivotal role in advancing robotic capabilities central to UKAEA's mission. The following section highlights ten stories that showcase some of the achievements of our robotics work, aligned to the UKAEA strategic goals: • PROBLEM-SOLVING (Solve challenges of sustainable fusion energy - from design through to decommissioning - with world-leading science and engineering): 1. Supporting ITER for non-destructive pipe weld testing using Eddy Current Array Technology 2. Developing control algorithms for breeding blanket handling with EUROfusion • PRODUCT (Enable partners to design, deliver, and operate commercial fusion power plants): 3. Delivering the world's largest windowless hot cell for ESS in Sweden 4. Collaborating with ITER to demonstrate maintenance of a critical safety system • PROSPERITY (Drive UK economic growth and a thriving industry that exports fusion technology around the world): 5. Delivering the ESS safety system with Frazer Nash 6. Providing NavLive, a spinout from the University of Oxford, with their first project • PLACE (Create clusters that accelerate innovation in fusion and related technologies): 7. Supporting early career engineers 8. Partnering with universities to accelerate innovation • PEOPLE (Develop the talented, diverse people needed to deliver fusion energy): 9. Inspiring the next generation of robotic engineers through RAICo 10. Helping STEM professionals to re-start their career Diego Suarez, Electrical System Design Engineer RACE has a long-standing relationship with ITER, including hosting the ITER Robotics Test Facility. One of our recent projects in this partnership has been to develop a concept design architecture for an Eddy Current Array (ECA) non-destructive testing system tailored to one of ITER's use cases. The project's primary objective was to recommend a standard approach for remote pipe weld inspection within ITER, particularly focusing on the task of inspecting the welds of the Blanket First Wall (FW) to Shield Block (SB) cooling pipes. EDDY CURRENT ARRAY TESTING: The project began by assessing the requirements and constraints associated with the ITER environment, particularly the vacuum vessel where high radiation levels and difficult access conditions necessitate highly reliable and radiation-resistant Non-Destructive Testing technology. After reviewing 11 different technologies, and physically testing the top three technologies, the ECA technology was chosen due to its potential for detecting both surface and sub-surface defects in welds, which are critical for ensuring the structural integrity of the pipes within the ITER facility. Two types of probes were created: one with high-frequency coils for detecting surface defects and another with low-frequency coils for identifying both surface and sub-surface defects. These probes were tested under various conditions, including pipe misalignment and radiation exposure, to evaluate their performance. The project also involved bench testing to assess the impact of cable length and signal transmission over long distances, which is crucial for remote handling applications. The results indicated that the ECA system could maintain signal quality over 60 meters and across 11 in-line electrical connectors, ensuring reliable performance even when the sensor and signal processing units are separated by considerable distances due to the radiation environment. RESULTS: The ECA probes were tested using representative pipe weld samples. The ECA probe inspection results used X-ray tomography to validate the accuracy and reliability of the ECA technology. The findings demonstrated that the ECA probes could effectively detect defects, with results closely aligning with those obtained from X-ray tomography. However, it was noted that further calibration and testing would be necessary to refine the system's ability to provide accurate measurement of defect sizes accurately, particularly in misaligned pipes. In summary, this project made progress in adapting ECA technology for use in the ITER Vacuum Vessel and potentially for any other remote application. It successfully delivered the design and initial testing of a rad hard ECA probe, providing a foundation for further development. Sam Herschmann, Senior Control Systems Engineer RACE's team for EU-DEMO has been developing control algorithms to manoeuvre the large blanket segments in and out of the vessel. Blanket segments are extremely large and will be a major component of any commercial tokamak that generates tritium. Handling these components is considered to be one of the most challenging remote handling operations for commercial-scale fusion machines. Magnetic confinement fusion holds the plasma in place using large magnets. Neutrons from the fusion reaction can be used to produce tritium inside the layer of banana-shaped 'breeding blanket segments'. BREEDING BLANKET MAINTENANCE CHALLENGES: These breeding blanket segments will need to be removed from the machine via ports near the top of the torus as part of the regular maintenance cycle. The EU-DEMO design has been studied in detail at RACE, and there are several constraints which make blanket segment handling extremely challenging: • the blankets are likely to be very large and heavy – around 12 meters and 80 tonnes • positional tolerances are extremely small, possibly requiring millimetre-scale precision • the conditions inside and near the machine mean the lift can only be performed using remote equipment and cameras, with no human intervention • the lift involves rotating the payload in mid-air using a manipulator that is much smaller in size than the blanket itself • radiation may limit the type and placement of motion sensors Blankets must be manoeuvred safely without colliding with or scraping other components in the machine. Control techniques are required that can account for the structural flexibility of the components to minimise oscillations and account for static deflections induced by gravity. MODEL-BASED CONTROL APPROACH: In our recent work we have developed and applied a model-based, optimal path planning algorithm to a miniaturised and simplified version of the EU-DEMO blanket handling problem. The first step was to create a model of the system using a finite element approach in computer simulation. The second step was to calculate a suitable robot trajectory using numerical optimisation to minimise the tracking error of the position payload's tip. We then improved our trajectory using input shaping to smooth the trajectory and avoid vibrations based on the natural frequency of the robot-payload system. RESULTS: This approach anticipates oscillatory behaviour and takes corrective action to reduce structural vibrations in the system. Specifically, this allowed us to control the robot payload whilst accounting for the influence of gravity, and simultaneously reducing post-manoeuvre oscillations. In future we will extend our investigation to larger and more complex payloads, including out-of-plane and torsional motions, viscoelastic damping and actuator dynamics. Harry Robinson, Principal Mechanical Engineer The European Spallation Source (ESS) is a multi-disciplinary research facility currently under construction in Lund, Sweden and will be the world's most powerful accelerator-based neutron source. It will include a waste processing plant known as the Active Cells. RACE has been engaged by the UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) to design and supply significant parts of the ESS Active Cells as part of the UK's 'in-kind' contribution to the ESS. CHALLENGES OF THE ESS ACTIVE CELLS FACILITY: The Active Cells will size reduce – predominantly by cutting – then store and enable shipping of radioactive material produced as a byproduct of ESS operations. Due to the radiation levels, human access to the Active Cells will be highly restricted; almost all operations and maintenance will need to be undertaken remotely, using robotic handling and size reduction equipment. CONTRACTING TO THE SUPPLY CHAIN: RACE carried out a competitive tender process in 2018 to select a contractor to design, build, install and test the primary piece of size reduction equipment for the Active Cells. The contract was won by Aquila Nuclear Engineering supported by cutting experts BD Nuclear, and their supplier SMO Machine Builders. PROGRESS & DELIVERY: The initial design process ended with a detailed design review in late 2019, final design accepted in 2020. Factory acceptance tests succeeded despite COVID restrictions, demonstrating cutting of 'Super Duplex' material sample complied with dust limits and schedule. The diamond wire saw was shipped to site in the first half of 2022. RESULTS: Two follow-on visits were carried out. The first test sample was cut in March 2023, rapidly followed by cutting a second sample integrated into the Active Cells Control System, supported by the RACE controls team. Garin Schoonhoven, Principal Engineer In a collaboration between ITER and RACE, a demonstration of the remote maintenance tasks for the replacement of burst discs in ITER's Vacuum Vessel Pressure Suppression System (VVPSS) was successfully completed. VACUUM VESSEL PRESSURE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM: The VVPSS in ITER's Neutral Beam cell is a safety critical over-pressure relief feature that uses burst disks and bleed valves. The VVPSS remote handling project demonstrated feasibility of maintaining the Bleed Line Valve Assembly by developing concept designs, manufacturing and validating mock-up remote handling tooling, and performing an evaluation trial using a full-scale mock-up designed and manufactured in the UK. RACE provided feedback that informed the final design for the 300 mm Bleed Line Valve Assembly and 500 mm Rupture Disc Assembly flanges. TOOLING: Manipulator operators relied on camera views to operate tools: • The Flange Bolting Tool (FBT): contains two Atlas Copco electric torque wrenches that traverse radially around the flange to bolt/unbolt 18 pop-up screws with up to 190 Nm torque. • The Flange Closure Tool (FCT): ensures containment when flanges are separated, inserts Closure Plates, and cleans sealing surfaces with an XYZ/W manipulator and vacuum cleaner. • The Bellows Compression Tool (BCT): provides preload to the flange join during bolting, and compresses bellows after bolts are undone to allow Closure Plate deployment. RESULTS: The operational trials demonstrated the feasibility of RH tooling design principles and provided insights for RDA RH tooling optimization. Jim Palmer, Remote Handling Project Leader at ITER, stated: 'The collaboration with UKAEA's RACE has allowed us to demonstrate, or even "qualify", the majority of the VVPSS maintenance processes foreseen in ITER and formed the centrepiece for our recent VVPSS RH preliminary design review.' Christopher Hume, Functional Safety Group Leader CHALLENGES OF ESS: ESS will produce high levels of short-lived radiation. The most contaminated components will be remotely handled within the Active Cells, delivered by UKAEA, which will be the largest nuclear hot cell ever built. WORKING WITH FRAZER NASH: UKAEA collaborated with Fraser Nash Consultancy to deliver the Active Cells Radiological Safety Systems to Functional Safety Standards, addressing novel challenges: cell size, sensor technology, 498 kGy total target lifetime dose, 20-year operation requirement with minimal human intervention, and Swedish Nuclear Regulator approval. RADIOLOGICAL SAFETY SYSTEMS: Hardware automating critical safety functions including radiation level detection, shielding/door placement isolation, access management, cell differential pressure monitoring, and alarm/evacuation initiation. HOW THE ENGINEERING PARTNERSHIP WORKED: RACE provided design basis, electrical construction/wiring, sensor and PLC procurement, mechanical construction, remote junction boxes/ducting, testing facilities, and installation. Fraser Nash provided safety system detailed design, standards compliant PLC application software, graphical operator interface, probabilistic SIL calculations, and independent Functional Safety Assessment. RESULTS: Delivered the ESS Radiological Safety System Site Acceptance Test in June 2024, representing eight years of work including: 30,000 hrs resource time; £1m hardware; 30 substantiation documents (2000+ pages); 1000 pages of drawings; 20 cubicles; 12 km cabling; 2 km cable management; 4000 components; 10000 electrical connections; 200 test configurations. Matthew Goodliffe, Lead Technologist (Digital) RACE's work under the LongOps project has developed digital tools to enable faster, safer and more cost-effective decommissioning across fusion energy and nuclear decommissioning sectors. WORKING WITH NAVLIVE & SLAM: NavLive, a spinout of the University of Oxford supported by Jacobs, was awarded a collaborative R&D contract under LongOps. Based on input from UKAEA, Sellafield Ltd, and TEPCO, NavLive developed an automated technique to detect changes by comparing point clouds using Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLaM) techniques on robotics platforms and handheld devices. The platform visualises geometric changes and maps thermal data. RESULTS: Demonstrations occurred in representative decommissioning environments using handheld, ROV, and long boom manipulator deployments. Multi-session mapping established baselines to identify changes within a 5 cm margin. David Wisth, NavLive: 'The LongOps project has made a big impact on NavLive... allowed us to improve our 3D mapping technology, and develop new capabilities in change detection, thermal mapping, and BIM visualisation... this LongOps project was an enabler for us to raise our seed round of venture capital investment in mid-2023.' Katy Seymour, Engineering Degree Apprentice Katy Seymour joined RACE in September 2022 on a five-year electrical and electronic engineering degree apprenticeship studying at Bristol University of the West of England. Placements change every six months. EXPERIENCE & PROJECTS: • Physical build and updating SolidWorks electrical schematics for an ITER project. • RACE Networking Team: upgrading remote handling plant network between J1 Remote Handling Control Room and Octant 1 and 5 booms. • Outreach project DORA: designing outreach equipment featuring a collaborative robot (cobot). • JET Decommissioning and Repurposing: working on the JET In Vessel Viewing System to design wireless lighting for remote handling tools in-vessel; learning PCB design in Proteus. ASPIRATIONS: To become a qualified Electrical Engineer and contribute effectively to future projects within RACE. Dr Calum Henderson, EPSRC Research Fellow Calum Henderson's PhD at University College London (UCL) focused on developing robust, radiation-tolerant electronic components for fusion remote handling systems, where components must endure radiation levels up to one million times higher than consumer electronics. PIONEERING RADIATION-TOLERANT ELECTRONICS: Using semiconducting diamond as an alternative to silicon, the project used ultra-high-power lasers to write complex 3D conductive and semiconductive architectures inside protective diamond crystals, producing all-carbon diodes and transistors. The all-carbon diode showed no breakdown up to ±200 V, with a maximum rectification ratio reaching over 2500. COLLABORATION & NEXT STEPS: RACE acted as industrial sponsor, providing funding, supervisory support, and multidisciplinary forums. Calum continues his research with a fellowship at the London Centre for Nanotechnology at UCL, exploring laser fabrication with diamond for extreme environment electronics in ongoing collaboration with RACE. Sophie Finlinson, Project Manager RAICo (Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration) brings together UKAEA, NDA, Sellafield Ltd, and the University of Manchester. Its primary facility RAICo1 is based in Whitehaven, Cumbria. THE DECOMMISSIONING WASTE CHALLENGE: In partnership with the Industrial Solutions Hub (iSH), RAICo organized a 4-week sprint challenge for students aged 16–18 from West Lakes Academy and Energy Coast UTC. Two teams per school designed and built robots to transport mock nuclear waste barrels. RESULTS: Students showcased their robots at the 'Harnessing Robotics and AI for Challenging Environments' event at Energus, Cumbria on 21 May 2024 in front of 250 industry attendees, gaining coding, engineering, and presentation skills. Christa Davies, Mechanical Design Engineer UKAEA's STEM Returners Scheme provides a 12-week placement to help professionals return to STEM careers following career breaks. Christa Davies joined RACE in September 2023 after studying Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at Southampton University, working at BAe and the automotive sector, working for Air New Zealand, taking a 10-year break to raise a family, and completing an MSc. EXPERIENCE AT RACE: Christa joined as a Mechanical Design Engineer, praising RACE's supportive on-boarding process, collaborative team environment, and cross-project knowledge sharing initiatives such as the 'RACE Symposium'. She works across decommissioning of the retired JET machine and turning fusion plant concepts like DEMO and STEP into real-world designs. UK Atomic Energy Authority Culham Campus, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 3DB Telephone: +44 (0)1235 528822 Website: www.gov.uk/ukaea Follow @UKAEAofficial © Copyright 2025 UK Atomic Energy Authority. CPS24.648