Paul Stirzaker is engineering manager of the product design group at Springfields Fuels. Paul has worked at Springfields Fuels since 1985 on various aspects of engineering and nuclear fuel manufacture. In his current role he leads a small team of engineers focused on maintaining the design of current fuels, reviewing manufacturing processes and providing on-site technical support to the Springfields Fuel manufacturing plant. In this episode, Paul takes us through the first half, or front-end, of the nuclear fuel cycle. He discusses how uranium is extracted from the ground and converted into a useful fuel, the intricacies involved in making nuclear fuel, what it’s like working at a fuel manufacturing plant and much more.
The RADNUC WebSeries is sponsored by The Nuclear Institute NW branch. Hosted by Ismail Aldean. Series design by Antonio Di Buono, Sophie Cooper and Ismail Aldean. Promotion by Salman Malik, James Barker, Sophie Cooper and Ashleigh Cartlidge. Episodes produced using creative media facilities at The Diamond, The University of Sheffield with help from the creative media services team.