My Cranfield PhD: Using UAVs to detect marine biohazards near nuclear power stations
18/03/2019

Before starting my PhD at Cranfield (UAVs used for the early detection of marine ingress events near coastal nuclear power stations) I read Zoology and Conservation biology at the University of Derby. I had planned to have a few months break between my masters and applying for a PhD. Just two weeks after finishing my masters, I was getting my car serviced and browsing www.findaphd.com. One thing led to another and within 10 days I had submitted my application and research proposal, attended my interview and received an offer! The unique blend between biology, environmental engineering, and technology (who doesn’t love drones!) really attracted me to this PhD. The photo above shows my early interest in UAVs!

Filming for EDF Energy to help promote my work across their nuclear power stations
Nuclear power stations face a continuing battle against marine ingress – a term used for undesirable biomass entering their water intakes. UK coastal nuclear power stations, and others worldwide, are becoming plagued by dense accumulations of jellyfish which clog water intakes and therefore restrict the flow of cooling water. Restricting the flow of water through the intakes requires slowing down of the electricity generation process, or even a complete emergency reactor shutdown. This leads to significant financial losses for the companies running nuclear power stations, as well as interrupting electricity supply to the general public. In the worst cases, more permanent damage can be caused, leading to prolonged reactor shutdowns, costly repairs and further losses in electricity generation (up to 2 million pounds a day!).

Collecting seaweed spectral data for my first paper
Although the fundamental factors leading to jellyfish blooms and severe seaweed ingress events are known, there is currently no system in place to identify the risk of a severe ingress event occurring at any place or time. Such a system would allow pre-emptive action to stop the biological material being drawn into the cooling water intakes or, at least, reduce the severity of the ingress event; ultimately resulting in smaller generation losses.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are emerging as a key engineering solution for environmental monitoring tasks. On-demand deployment of UAVs enables continuity of current monitoring programmes. In addition, high resolution aerial imagery collected from UAVs could provide better estimates of jellyfish and seaweed extent, density and arrival time with the appropriate algorithm development. These two benefits combined will lengthen the detection-response elapsed gap and act as an effective warning system, allowing the power station to take pre-emptive action.

Selfie in front of Torness nuclear power station, Scotland
Through the development of a drone-based early warning detection system, I hope to be able to reduce the detrimental effects of marine ingress. I am currently in the second of a four year PhD and hope to complete it through the ‘publication pathway’ – in other words, producing a thesis that consists of a series of papers that have been published in peer reviewed journals. Being midway through the peer review process for my first paper, and wiser to the tribulations of this process, I feel that maybe I should have gone for the traditional monograph style, or perhaps run away to a far away land. I am currently undecided – perhaps there will be less jellyfish and seaweeds there!

Conducting flood risk assessment in Northern Ireland – 2017
Categories & Tags:
Leave a comment on this post:
You might also like…
Exploring the skies and beyond: My experience as a GREAT Scholar at Cranfield University
A place where innovation meets practice Cranfield University is renowned for its world-class facilities and resources. What stands out most to me though, is its unique connection to the aerospace industry. ...
Shifting Gears: How virtual prototyping is driving the future of automotive and motorsport
The roar of the engine, the thrill of the track, the relentless pursuit of perfection – these are the hallmarks of racing cars. But even in the world of high-octane performance, ...
How to get the most out of our Open Day
Our Open Day is just around the corner, and you’re wondering what you can do to make sure you get the most out of your visit to us. Fear not, we've pulled together our top ...
Top tips to help you prepare for our Open Day
Our Open Days offer a fantastic opportunity for you to really get a feel for the community here at Cranfield, and we want you to get the best out of it. We’ve got so much ...
Introducing… the UK Data Service (UKDS)
If you’re looking for a gateway to key economic and social data, then you might like to take a look at the UK Data Service (UKDS). What's included? Offering a wide range of secondary data ...
Creating a bibliography is easy in Mendeley
If you’re using Mendeley Cite, Mendeley's citation plug-in for Word, you will soon be ready to generate a bibliography of all the references you have cited. Here we’ll run through how quick and easy it ...