WPC Workshop on Criticality Safety Assessment Methods
Cerberus Nuclear recently attended the WPC Workshop on Criticality Safety Assessment Methods, which brought together nuclear industry experts, regulators, and professionals to discuss criticality methodology. The event was hosted at the Pride Park Stadium in Derby and focused on regulatory perspectives, foundational methodologies, and practical applications relevant to the nuclear sector.
The workshop began with the regulatory bodies emphasising aligning safety assessments with evolving nuclear standards and maintaining a proactive approach to risk management through early engagement. It was followed by a series of presentation on different Safety Assessment Methods including Design Basis Analysis (DBA), Design Basis Accident Analysis (DBAA) and Double contingency Principle (DCP). Test case assessment methods were presented. A consideration of conditioning factors applied to Initiating Event Frequency within DBA methodology was introduced, as well as a systematic approach to the analysis of double fault methodology within DBA. The workshop concluded with an introduction to Barrier Analysis and Transport Safety Assessment and a relevant exercise.
In conclusion, the workshop highlighted the importance of collaboration among regulators, designers, and operational teams within the nuclear industry, with case studies showcasing effective cross-disciplinary solutions. We would like to thank Rolls Royce for hosting the event and the WPC for organising the workshop.
Cyclone Sage at RPSD 2024
Cerberus Nuclear were proud to support Orthrus Software at the ANS Winter Conference 2024 hosted at Sea World, Orlando, running from 17th to 21st Nov. This prestigious event brings together experts from across the nuclear industry, offering a platform to share progress, showcase projects, and discuss advancements in the nuclear sector. We were thrilled to connect with experts in the Radiation Protection and Shielding Division (RPSD) and attend a variety of interesting technical sessions.
Orthrus Software presented a talk on Cyclone Sage – a cutting-edge AI assistant designed to revolutionise MCNP input deck creation. Cyclone Sage stands out by delivering precise, hallucination-free inputs seamlessly integrated within Orthrus’ Cyclone UI. It’s an exciting step forward in the world of AI and Monte Carlo simulations, and we’re thrilled to see the positive response from the community. We look forward to continuing our support of the development of Cyclone Sage and trying out its exciting new features.
A huge thank you to the organisers of the conference and to everyone who put on such a great event. We look forward to coming back soon.
Our delegates, Dan, John and Pete (Orthrus Software) also managed to squeeze in some Florida sights, including an airboat tour – complete with lots of alligators!
Nuclear Modelling 2024
Last week, Cerberus Nuclear had a fantastic time attending the 7th Modelling in Nuclear Science and Engineering Seminar in Manchester. The event was hosted by the Nuclear Institute and was an excellent chance for Andrew and Carl to network and learn about recent developments in the field of nuclear modelling.
There was a large focus on the implementation of AI within the nuclear industry. This related to the creation of both more accurate assessments and more user-friendly programs. We were particularly interested in developments relating to nuclear safety cases, as well as other aspects of nuclear modelling that are applicable to the work carried out at Cerberus on a day-to-day basis.
This seminar was a great opportunity to see a variety of different ideas that the rest of the industry has for the use of AI in nuclear modelling ahead of Orthrus Software's presentation on Cyclone Sage at RPSD 2024 in Orlando next week. Cyclone Sage is an integrated AI assistant within Cyclone, which can aid in the creation of MCNP input decks
Seminars like these inspire us at Cerberus Nuclear to continue our mission to provide high quality technical solutions with an emphasis on creativity and innovation. The development of tools for use in nuclear modelling and data science at Cerberus helps the industry to optimise its workflow, while allowing us to excel in the fields of radiation shielding, criticality safety and nuclear characterisation.
We look forward to attending similar events in the future! Make sure to look out for our blog post about RPSD 2024 in the next few weeks and definitely say hello to us in Orlando if you'll be attending in person!
Cerberus Trip to the Black Country Museum
A small group from Cerberus Nuclear recently took a trip to the Black Country Living Museum, an award-winning open air museum set across 26 acres in the heart of the Black Country. They had a fantastic day exploring over 250 years of history and treating themselves to lots of chips!
The day started off with a fascinating tour of a 19th century drift mine with incredibly low ceilings and only the equivalent of candlelight to guide them through the darkness. They were given a rundown of various roles within the mine and the treacherous conditions people had to work in.
This experience left the group a bit peckish so they got themselves some world famous fish and chips and set up base in the Elephant and Castle pub located within the grounds of the museum.
Following this little pit stop, they took part in an authentic school experience. This included practising their times tables and reciting the alphabet, as well as receiving some outdated forms of punishment if they misbehaved.
They rounded off their exciting day out with a trip to Mad O'Rourkes Pie Factory, where they enjoyed even more chips and some outstanding pies! It was a very successful trip and a great opportunity for the team to spend some quality time together outside of the office.
Both trips were a success! We had the opportunity to talk to lots of interesting people with a wide variety of backgrounds and future career plans. We would like to thank the University of Birmingham, University of York, and the White Rose Industrial Physics Academy for their hands in organising these events and their hospitality throughout.
We love being able to introduce people to Radiation Shielding and Criticality Safety at these types of events as well as talking to those who already have aspirations to work within these fields. Cerberus Nuclear look forward to attending similar events throughout the year and hopefully returning to both of these events next year!
Big Science Business Forum 2024
Cerberus Nuclear had the pleasure of attending the Big Science Business Forum 2024 in Trieste, running from 1st to 4th October. 'Big Science' refers to large scale collaboration on scientific projects funded by governments or international agencies. Sam and Dan had an excellent time at the forum, which was a great opportunity for networking, sharing knowledge, and exploring the latest trends across Big Science.
This year’s event showcased cutting-edge innovations and brought together organisations at the forefront of their industry with major names like CERN, the European Space Agency, and Fusion for Energy in attendance. We were particularly interested in discussions on fields where we can utilise our expertise in radiation shielding and activation analysis.
We were grateful to attend through the SME Track and were proud to present our poster on radiation shielding as part of the poster session. This was well received by attendees, and a big thank you goes to Andrew Weaver for his hard work in creating the poster.
The forum attracted organisations from across the globe, and we were glad to see strong representation from the North West and the Midlands. We had several valuable discussions throughout the forum, as well as during the social dinner in the city, which was a particular highlight of the trip.
The historic city of Trieste provided a wonderful backdrop to this year's event. Sam and Dan made some great connections and we look forward to any future collaborative projects that come from this.
New Starter: Daniel Murphy
Cerberus Nuclear is delighted to welcome Daniel Murphy to our team!
Daniel joins us after spending a year as a Health Physicist at Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station in Canada. Daniel will be working as a Radiation Shielding Consultant. He has a solid and diverse background in Operational Health Physics and Shielding Design, providing on-the-ground health physics support during running and outage work at Point Lepreau and also having 6 years experience doing shielding calculations for clients across the UK civil nuclear industry and internationally as a consultant.
Daniel is looking forward to playing a leading role in delivering excellent quality work and solving challenging shielding problems for Cerberus Nuclear clients. Welcome aboard Daniel!
First Aid Training
Cerberus Nuclear recently took part in First Aid Training delivered by the team at St. John Ambulance.
Debbie took the team through the training for the "Emergency First Aid at Work" certificate, in what was an interesting and engaging day. Training covered a range of areas such as the use of first aid kits, health & safety regulations, how to remain safe, and active skills someone may need to be an effective first aider. These included situations such a choking, severe bleeding, shock, unresponsiveness, and someone not breathing.
The training was received very positively by the team, with first time first aiders and those renewing their training learning from the most up-to-date recommendations and advice. Many thanks to Debbie and the team from St John Ambulance for the day and we would highly recommend the course to other organisations.
Tour of INTA Technology Campus
Earlier this year, our Radiation Shielding Consultants John, Sam, and Zac visited INTA, the National Institute for Aerospace Technologies in Madrid while attending a FLUKA.CERN course.
They had the opportunity to tour multiple areas of the INTA campus and learn from experts working at the cutting edge of the international aerospace industry.
They visited an anechoic chamber where satellites and aircraft undergo a variety of tests. This includes but is not limited to the study of electromagnetic absorption measurements of materials, electromagnetic characterisation of materials in free space, and measurements of the effect of coatings on radiation or scatter patterns.
Credit: INTA Website
They were also shown round the turbojet test centre (picture at the top of the article), where engines are put through rigorous testing to ensure they are suitable for commercial use.
Finally, they explored the astrobiology department and received a lecture on the history of our solar system, as well as some exciting updates regarding ongoing projects at INTA.
Thanks to all those at INTA for providing these opportunities for our team while they were visiting for the FLUKA.CERN course.
Cerberus Nuclear have consolidated our capabilities in a broad range of high energy physics disciplines through our access to the FLUKA code. We are excited to have the opportunity to use FLUKA as a key tool in a variety of projects across the industry.
