NSUF 08-98: Advanced Non-Destructive Assessment Technology to Determine the Aging of Structural Materials for Generation IV Nuclear Reactor

The proposed work will apply state-of-the-art technologies of semiconductors, which undergo neutron transmutation doping NTD, to advance the technology of in-situ assessment of radiation damage of nuclear reactor core materials. With the next generation of nuclear reactors being designed with higher operating temperatures, there will be a requirement for the increased use of high temperature structural materials in the reactor core. There is a need for nondestructive assessment tools to assess irradiation damage in nuclear structural materials, especially for in-situ monitoring of the aging of the reactor core materials. These nondestructive evaluation NDE sensors for the in-situ assessment of the accumulated damage in structural reactor materials are a technical and commercial opportunity with the advent of the new nuclear energy initiatives. Many potential sensory materials are silicon-based, such as Sic a known high-temperature semiconductor material. Si3N4, and Sialons, and many other structural ceramics that have non-stoichiometric ionic structures excess oxygen or metal ions which, when damaged, will cause measurable changes in their electronic concentrations. The philosophy for use of these electronic property sensors to assess accumulated radiation damage in materials is similar to the use of pyrometric cones to assess the accumulated effects of the thermal experience for the firing of technical ceramics. These electronic property sensors will be placed in the nuclear reactor core area adjacent to materials which are being assessed for radiation damage. This assessment is achieved by the correlation of changes in electronic property data relative to known radiation damage history of specific materials.

Informação Adicional

Campo Valor
Awarded Institution Colorado School of Mines
Embargo End Date 2026-02-27
Facility Tech Lead Alina Montrose, Gordon Kohse, Mukesh Bachhav
NSUF Call FY 2008 Call for User Proposals
PI Travis Koenig
Project Member Travis Koenig - Colorado School of Mines
Project Member BRAJENDRA MISHRA - Colorado School of Mines
Project Member Dr. Frank Garner, President - Radiation Effects Consulting (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4690-2205)
Project Type Irradiation/PIE
RTE Number 98