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Light water reactor scientist and engineer

Light water reactor scientist and engineer

Engineering and manufacturing

Level 7 - Professional Occupation

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This is a standard/occupation where the route panel has identified an employer/industry need; however, a Trailblazer Group has yet to be formed to develop it. These standards provide a future focus to the maps, and will be added to as route panels identify employer/industry need. If you would like to learn more about developing this standard, get in touch at [email protected].

Reference: OCC0640

Status: lightbulbPotential occupational standard

Average (median) salary: £42,362 per year

SOC 2020 code: 2129 Engineering professionals n.e.c.

Technical Education Products

ST0640:

Light water reactor scientist and engineer

(Level 7)

Withdrawn

Summary

This occupation is found in the science and engineering sectors of the Civil Nuclear and Defence Nuclear industries.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to use depth and breadth of scientific and engineering expertise in nuclear reactor technology to support all stages of the nuclear reactor lifecycle, including commissioning, operating and decommissioning. This involves independently performing technical assessment and scrutiny of designs and modifications, defining technical specifications against statements of requirement, developing innovative engineering solutions to in-service issues and providing senior leaders with technical knowledge and evidence based advice required to make informed decisions. Light Water Reactor (LWR) Scientists and Engineers are highly skilled using their knowledge and experience to understand the fundamental chemical, physical and radiological principles of nuclear reactor operations.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with technical and academic organisations, regulatory bodies, technical and non-technical people at all levels of the organisation. The working environment will mainly be office-based with some plant inspections and reviews; in the defence sector, an employee in this occupation may also operate the submarine reactor at sea. This is a highly technical role found in large multi-national organisations and in supply chain organisations.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for budgets, licence requirements, health & safety, nuclear safety and security. This is a highly responsible role managing the maintenance of the LWR design intent. In particular, LWR Scientists and Engineers are responsible for the safety, reliability, operability and attributes of the LWR plant, assuring compliance with regulatory, contractual and internal company requirements. They are responsible for making recommendations to address fundamental issues and complex challenges to ensure continued safe operation, whilst also in some instances considering innovative ways to improve upon current designs to make nuclear power more effective and efficient for the future.

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Green themes

Energy and Networks

Typical job titles include:

Design authority engineer
Design authority scientist
Fuel and core physics specialist
Plant chemist
Royal navy marine engineer submarine officer
Structural integrity engineer
Systems engineer

Keywords:

Design And Development
Engineering
Manufacturing
Science
Water
Water Reactor

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)

K1: Regulatory framework applicable to the nuclear industry
K2: Nuclear reactor failure modes and potential consequences
K3: Different modes of reactor operation
K4: Hazard identification techniques and risk evaluation techniques; the principles ALARP (as low as reasonably practicable) and BAT (best available techniques)
K5: Principles and application of deterministic fault analysis and probabilistic risk analysis
K6: Principles and application of radiological protection and effects of exposure on human health and the environment
K7: Fundamental engineering mathematics and statistical methods
K8: Reactor physics including quantitative analysis of the neutron lifecycle and consequential design of reactor systems; capabilities of models and codes
K9: Thermal hydraulics including multiphase heat transfer, critical heat flux and prediction methods; feedback coefficients and the coupling between reactor physics and thermal hydraulics; capabilities of models and codes
K10: Reactor Materials including properties and selection criteria of reactor materials; the mechanisms of corrosion and degradation and the effects of irradiation on materials including fuel
K11: Chemistry including key functions of chemistry controls on a light water reactor to maintain reactivity controls to maintain the integrity of materials and minimise radioactivity in the primary circuit
K12: Interdependencies of reactor physics, reactor materials, chemistry and thermal hydraulics on the design and operation of reactor systems
K13: Effective leadership, management and mentoring techniques including oral and written communication strategies that incorporate a working knowledge of LWR and regulatory terminology used in this occupation, for example Nuclear and Health and Safety legislation and guidance

S1: Work competently and safely in a technical nuclear environment to meet regulatory and legislative requirements
S2: Select and use appropriate models, codes, both probabilistic and deterministic, and analytical techniques
S3: Assess and make recommendations for modifications to system and component design throughout the reactor lifecycle, demonstrating the rigour required to contribute to nuclear safety cases
S4: Evaluate plant conditions under all modes of LWR operation, for example shut down, and start up, critical steady state operations
S5: Integrate design principles, hazard identification and risk evaluation techniques into maintenance, repair and modification solutions
S6: Integrate radiological protection principles into technical proposals and solutions
S7: Apply appropriate mathematical statistical methods to enable uncertainties to be clearly expressed and explained to a technical and non-technical audience
S8: Communicate effectively and professionally with all levels within and across the organisation
S9: Carry out calculations for reactor physics and thermal hydraulics
S10: Carry out chemical and radio chemical analyses
S11: Generate and lead teams, physical or virtual, to solve cross-cutting problems; acknowledge the accomplishments of others and the importance of individual contributions to overall performance

B1: Demonstrate reliability, integrity and respect for confidentiality on work related and personal matters
B2: Work autonomously and interact effectively within a wide, multi-disciplinary project team
B3: Understand the impact of work on others, supporting an inclusive environment
B4: Manage time effectively, being able to plan and complete work to schedule
B5: Supportive attitude to change and responds positively to change management processes
B6: Take responsibility for personal development, demonstrating commitment to learning and self- improvement and provide and receive feedback constructively
B7: A strong commitment to personal safety and understanding of the consequences as set out in the nuclear industry requirements
B8: Take responsibility for behaviours and conditions in the workplace to reinforce nuclear, radiological and conventional safety over competing goals to ensure the protection of people and the environment, including challenging unsafe behaviours and practices
B9: Compliance by following rules, procedures and principles to ensure work completed is fit for purpose, sufficiently detailed and is reviewed for accuracy and completeness
B10: Commitment to sustainability in work design and application
B11: An enthusiastic advocate for the nuclear industry with the ability to represent this industry to a variety of audiences
B12: Demonstrates appropriate leadership and management styles dependent on situation, circumstances and environment
B13: Demonstrates a strong commitment to nuclear safety and security, role modelling and sharing good practice

Duties

Duty D1

Provide guidance and solutions to technical issues to ensure the full operability and optimise performance of LWR plant systems

Duty D2

Analyse LWR plant system conditions eg temperature, pressures and flows, identify adverse trends and propose technical solutions

Duty D3

Design and specify plant components, spare parts and other consumables for maintenance, repair and modifications eg valves, actuators, seals

Duty D4

Create and/or maintain LWR plant system design documents and contribute to the development of LWR plant processes and procedures ensuring priority is given to Health & Safety

Duty D5

Design and model the LWR plant systems under normal and abnormal operating conditions to ensure the safety requirements associated with nuclear safety case are met

Duty D6

Evaluate technical proposals for plant system design modifications and independently verify suitability and feasibility

Duty D7

Mentor LWR team members, graduates and apprentices, providing technical development to increase own and team’s capability, enhancing organisational resilience

Duty D8

Prepare and contribute to formal communications for appropriate regulatory and other agency interfaces such as Office for Nuclear Regulation LWR safety case report

Duty D9

Provide a leading role and technical expertise in the event of an emergency response situation including beyond design basis events

Duty D10

Provide effective communication to inform significant operational/technical issues that impact on LWR plant availability

Duty D11

Implement best practice in environmental and waste management

Duty D12

Undertake performance analysis to define operating parameters to meet nuclear safety case requirements

Duty D13

Input to technical budgetary operational requirements for lifecycle planning

Duty D14

Be an ambassador for nuclear safety culture and lead on safety and safe working practices

Duty D15

Routinely verify operational status of plant to ensure it is maintained within chemistry, physics and thermal hydraulics design constraints

Duty D16

Contribute to design and maintenance of LWR core and plant components under all operating conditions including assessing degradation of materials and taking into consideration of the harsh environment in which the materials are operating