This summer, Year 10 student Niamh had an extraordinary opportunity to explore the cutting edge of energy research. Out of over 400 applicants, she was one of only 60 chosen for work experience at the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) in Culham.
Reflecting on her placement, Niamh said: “Over the summer, I had the incredible opportunity of being able to have work experience at the UKAEA site in Culham. They have been doing some amazing work over the last few years, including hosting the JET fusion reactor, which had the goal to run 1,600 plasma pulses over its lifetime to explore the boundaries of energy and the future of energy generation.”
During her time at the site, Niamh saw MASCOT, the maintenance system that ensures the reactor interior is safe while limiting radioactive contamination. She toured state-of-the-art facilities, including RACE (Remote Applications in Challenging Environments), the Material Research Facility, and the plasma science division, and met Damien, who heads experiments in JET-3.
Niamh gained hands-on experience coding in Python, designing containers to hold salts that store thermal energy. She described the experience as: “very engaging, fun and useful to help increase my depth and breadth of understanding in the field I want to work in in the future.”
Her dedication, enthusiasm and curiosity make Niamh an inspiring example of the opportunities St Joseph’s College students can achieve, and her summer at UKAEA will no doubt influence her future career in energy and science.
