Nuclear industry improves models
In nuclear power plants, materials degrade due to high radiation that limits their operational lifespan. Utilities that operate these reactors need to test the durability of these structures to ensure safe and reliable plant operation. The EU-funded PERFORM 60 (Prediction of the effects of radiation for reactor pressure vessel and in-core materials using multi-scale modelling - 60 years foreseen plant lifetime) initiative aimed to predict the effects of radiation and corrosion on nuclear reactor materials. The researchers set out to develop tools that improved on the existing tools for nuclear testing developed by the PERFECT initiative. They used experimental data to validate their models. PERFORM 60 established a user's group to benchmark the newly developed modelling tools. Project members were able to use these predictive tools to quantify phenomena such as nanostructural features in iron alloys. The researchers improved on previous models, allowing them to operate on a longer time scale using larger simulation volumes. The project team compared the numerical models with actual industrial data. Researchers also used this platform to share information with European and international nuclear communities. These results will help the EU's nuclear industry become a leader in insights into the physical behaviour of nuclear reactor materials.
Keywords
Nuclear, power plants, radiation, PERFORM 60, reactor materials
