Lynkeos Technology, a University of Glasgow spin-out which uses cosmic rays to create detailed 3D images of shielded structures is set to share £700,000 in funding.

The firm has been announced as one of 10 organisations to receive funding from the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).

The firm won the support after a successful bid for the NDA’s Remote Monitoring of Sensitive Sites competition, which sought new ways to remotely collect data on assets, infrastructure, and the surrounding environment.

The NDA has been tasked with cleaning up the UK’s 17 earliest nuclear sites. It is vital that monitoring, inspection, and security capabilities remain fit for purpose, whilst continuously improving to maintain safe, secure, and more efficient operations and inform future decommissioning efforts.

The competition sought help with three key areas of challenge for the NDA: the built environment and infrastructure, environmental modelling and land use, and security and resilience.

Lynkeos’ bid was for the built environment and infrastructure challenge, which aims to enhance the detection, identification, and monitoring of complex and high-value physical assets, including equipment and civil structures.

Lynkeos Technology

The University of Glasgow spin-out harnesses the unique properties of cosmic rays to create non-invasive images of the interiors of structures. It was spun out of fundamental nuclear physics research work carried out at the University of Glasgow’s School of Physics & Astronomy.

Cosmic rays are charged subatomic particles which reach the earth from space. When the rays collide with the nuclei of the gases found in the planet’s atmosphere, the impact releases particles known as muons. Around 10,000 muons harmlessly shower every square metre of earth per minute.

When muons strike objects on earth, they are deflected very slightly from their course. The amount of deflection depends on the chemical composition of the object they hit, with heavier elements causing greater deflection.

The Lynkeos Technology team is the first in the UK to develop sensitive muon detectors which can measure the deflection of incoming muons as they travel through objects. Collecting deflection data on a computer allows the creation of a sophisticated 3D picture of the object and its structure.

The process has already been used to image the contents of waste storage facilities at the Sellafield nuclear power plant and to image specimens of reinforced concrete like that used in structures like bridges and buildings.

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Dr David Mahon, of Lynkeos Technology and the University’s School of Physics & Astronomy, said: “We’re pleased to have won the backing of DASA and NDA for our muography technology, which has already proven its value for passive imaging in challenging environments with a number of commercial partners.

“The funding will help us to build a more portable version of our muon imaging equipment which is fully powered by batteries and can be more easily deployed in the field. That will help users to build images of structures in remote locations or in challenging environments.”

Lynkeos Technology’s funding from the competition, which totals around £40,000, is the latest in a series of investments in the company since its formation.

This includes a £4.8 million R&D programme funded by Sellafield Ltd. on behalf of the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, and £1.6 million from Innovate UK to commercialise the Lynkeos Muon Imaging System from the First Of A Kind Deployment of Innovation fund.

Andrew Gray, Innovation Delivery Manager at NDA, said: “We are excited to be working with DASA on this competition which has generated a huge amount of interest across many different sectors.

“The competition will support the development of new technologies for remote sensing and application of novel approaches which will enable us to monitor our large and geographically distributed estate.

“This will help us deliver our decommissioning mission in different ways, reduce risk and provide additional insights for improving how we manage our infrastructure, and inform decision-making processes. We are eager to see how the creative solutions being put forward by the supply chain will evolve.”

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