Developing a framework for regulatory conformance of innovative experimental reactor facilities

About the Project

Molten salt reactors (MSRs) are currently under active research and the community has agreed on the high relevance of developing and licensing a reactor physics experiment. You will create with the team a plan for designing and licensing a novel experiment to deeper investigate the physical behaviour of MSRs.

Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs) are a next-generation nuclear reactor technology outlined by Generation IV International Forum, fulfilling sustainability, economics, safety, and proliferation resistance goals. MSRs have drawn significant attention from industry and research communities in recent years due to the numerous safety, operational, and sustainability benefits. MSRs have the potential to close the nuclear fuel cycle, significantly reduce the amount of nuclear waste produced, and even operate on spent nuclear fuel from existing nuclear reactors, while opening the opportunity for significantly reducing the fuel cycle and the production cost of energy.

In the frame of developing an innovative reactor system, a zero-power experiment is the first important step, which, if successful, leads to the start of a considerably large and complex programme. In addition, it is often seen as a low-cost and low-risk opportunity to study a novel reactor system. Among other things, the zero-power experiment could provide valuable data for validation and verification of nuclear codes, create an improved understanding of the system to be developed and prove its safety to the regulator. It will educate the developing partners in designing, licensing, constructing, commissioning, and operating a new kind of innovative reactor.

The candidate will investigate innovative approaches to set up zero-power experiments, the regulatory framework and strategies for the licensing of innovative zero-power experiments using a physics based modelling and simulation (M&S) approach. The work will also involve discussions with a TSO to evaluate the results and match the M&S approach with the regulatory requirements.

The work is sponsored by the German charity RWTÜV and the RAEng Chair in Emerging Technologies.

Candidates wishing to apply should complete the University of Liverpool application form to apply for a PhD in PPPR085

Please review our guide on How to apply for a PhD | Postgraduate research | University of Liverpool carefully and complete the online postgraduate research application form to apply for this PhD project.

Please ensure you include the project title and reference number PPPR085 when applying.

This funded Studentship will cover full tuition fees (for 2025-26 this is £5,006 pa.) and pay a maintenance grant for 3.5 years, at the UKRI standard rates (for 2025-26 this is £20,780 pa.) The Studentship also comes with access to additional funding in the form of a Research Training Support Grant to fund consumables, conference attendance, etc.

This Studentship funded by rwtuev is available to any prospective student wishing to apply including both home and international students. While the funder will not cover international fees, a limited number of scholarships to meet the fee difference will be available to support outstanding international students.

Funding Notes

The work is sponsored by the German charity RWTÜV and the RAEng Chair in Emerging Technologies.