On 22.02.2016, the kick-off event for the research project "Fundamental F&E work on methods for condition monitoring of transport and storage casks for spent fuel elements and heat-generating high-level radioactive waste during extended interim storage" took place at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf in the presence of the project sponsor (GRS). The project is being funded as part of the BMWi's funding initiative for research into the disposal of radioactive waste.
From left: Prof. Kratzsch (IPM), Prof. Hampel (TUD), Mr. Zingler (GRS), Mr. Schmidt (IPM), Mr. Fiß (IPM), Ms. Dietel (TUD), Mr. Reinicke (IPM)
Over the next three years, the five-member research team will make a contribution to the safe disposal of radioactive waste as part of the joint project between the TU Dresden, Chair of Imaging Measurement Techniques in Energy Technology and the IPM, Department of Measurement Technology/Process Automation.
The aim is to evaluate various physical measurement principles, procedures and methods for non-invasive monitoring of the condition of the inventory of Castor® casks during extended interim storage. The aim is to investigate ways of detecting changes in the fuel assemblies and the cask structures over very long periods of several decades without opening the Castors®.
In terms of content, the work follows on from the research project "Non-invasive condition monitoring of nuclear reactors for the detection of level changes and core deformation", which was funded by the BMBF from 2012 to 2015. In particular, the NICoLe test rig developed, constructed and commissioned in the aforementioned project will be used.
The "NICoLe" trainer
Contact: 
Prof. Dr.Ing. Alexander Kratzsch
Institute of Process Engineering, Process Automation and Measurement Technology
Mail: a.kratzsch(at)hszg.de
Phone: 03583 612-4282