NSUF 18-1531: Microstructure Analysis of High Dose Neutron Irradiated Alloys
The promise for developing new, advanced nuclear reactor concepts that significantly improve on commercial nuclear power reactors, and the extension of life of existing light water nuclear reactors rests heavily on understanding how neutron irradiation can degrade materials that serve as the structural components in reactor cores. In high dose fission reactor concepts such as the sodium fast reactor (SFR), lead fast reactor (LFR), molten salt reactor (MSR) and the traveling wave reactor (TWR), structural materials must survive up to or over 200 dpa of damage at temperatures in excess of 400°C. A promising solution to achieving such high doses in a rapid and economical manner is ion irradiation. Challenges to the implementation of ion irradiation as a surrogate for neutron irradiation include accounting for rate effects, small irradiation volumes, accounting for transmutation and the lack of data to establish the equivalence. Addressing these challenges constitutes the main focus of this program.
This program consists of four major elements, or thrusts: 1) establishment of the capability to conduct dual- and triple- ion irradiations that capture the key elements of the BOR-60 reactor neutron spectrum and development of both ion and reactor irradiation programs, 2) characterization (both experimental and computational) of the evolution of the irradiated microstructure over a wide dose range relevant to fast and thermal reactors, and 3) establishment of the microstructure-property relationship for irradiated materials, and 4) engagement the worldwide radiation effects community through the creation of workshops and working groups to address ion irradiation techniques and the analysis of defects in the irradiated sample preparation and analysis of microstructure. Key elements of the program are A) both ion and neutron irradiation will be performed on the same alloys/heats, B) both damage and transmutation effects will be incorporated seamlessly into the irradiations, and C) the meshing of experiment and modeling efforts will occur across all length scales and all aspects of the program. The program will focus on a set of alloys chosen because: 1) they represent potential candidate alloys for fast reactors (T91 and HT9) and as can be considered as candidate replacement alloys for LWRs at high dose (800H). Importantly, complementary neutron irradiation data exists for several of these alloy heats. Finally, they are amenable to inclusion in a fast reactor irradiation campaign designed to produce a substantive set of data set to allow for a comprehensive comparison of ion and neutron irradiation effects. This project will demonstrate the capability to evaluate the behavior of reactor materials at high irradiation doses. Key to this effort is benchmarking of the microstructures formed under ion irradiation and neutron irradiation by a combined experimental and analytical approach. This RTE will generate valuable data on the microstructure of candidate alloys exposed in reactor for comparison against that from ion irradiation. The final product will provide a path and a methodology for qualifying materials for service at very high doses.
Additional Info
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Abstract | The promise for developing new, advanced nuclear reactor concepts that significantly improve on commercial nuclear power reactors, and the extension of life of existing light water nuclear reactors rests heavily on understanding how neutron irradiation can degrade materials that serve as the structural components in reactor cores. In high dose fission reactor concepts such as the sodium fast reactor (SFR), lead fast reactor (LFR), molten salt reactor (MSR) and the traveling wave reactor (TWR), structural materials must survive up to or over 200 dpa of damage at temperatures in excess of 400°C. A promising solution to achieving such high doses in a rapid and economical manner is ion irradiation. Challenges to the implementation of ion irradiation as a surrogate for neutron irradiation include accounting for rate effects, small irradiation volumes, accounting for transmutation and the lack of data to establish the equivalence. Addressing these challenges constitutes the main focus of this program. This program consists of four major elements, or thrusts: 1) establishment of the capability to conduct dual- and triple- ion irradiations that capture the key elements of the BOR-60 reactor neutron spectrum and development of both ion and reactor irradiation programs, 2) characterization (both experimental and computational) of the evolution of the irradiated microstructure over a wide dose range relevant to fast and thermal reactors, and 3) establishment of the microstructure-property relationship for irradiated materials, and 4) engagement the worldwide radiation effects community through the creation of workshops and working groups to address ion irradiation techniques and the analysis of defects in the irradiated sample preparation and analysis of microstructure. Key elements of the program are A) both ion and neutron irradiation will be performed on the same alloys/heats, B) both damage and transmutation effects will be incorporated seamlessly into the irradiations, and C) the meshing of experiment and modeling efforts will occur across all length scales and all aspects of the program. The program will focus on a set of alloys chosen because: 1) they represent potential candidate alloys for fast reactors (T91 and HT9) and as can be considered as candidate replacement alloys for LWRs at high dose (800H). Importantly, complementary neutron irradiation data exists for several of these alloy heats. Finally, they are amenable to inclusion in a fast reactor irradiation campaign designed to produce a substantive set of data set to allow for a comprehensive comparison of ion and neutron irradiation effects. This project will demonstrate the capability to evaluate the behavior of reactor materials at high irradiation doses. Key to this effort is benchmarking of the microstructures formed under ion irradiation and neutron irradiation by a combined experimental and analytical approach. This RTE will generate valuable data on the microstructure of candidate alloys exposed in reactor for comparison against that from ion irradiation. The final product will provide a path and a methodology for qualifying materials for service at very high doses. |
| Award Announced Date | 2018-09-17T12:01:32.613 |
| Awarded Institution | None |
| Facility | None |
| Facility Tech Lead | Kory Linton |
| Irradiation Facility | None |
| PI | Gary Was |
| PI Email | [email protected] |
| Project Type | RTE |
| RTE Number | 1531 |