Project description
Researching materials for safe long-term operation of nuclear plant pressurised water reactors
During the long-term operation of pressurised water reactors, the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) becomes brittle mainly due to neutron irradiation. Scientists disagree about what causes certain low-copper RPV steels to become fragile at an accelerated rate. Further research is needed to shed light on late irradiation effects. Additionally, since current embrittlement trend equations (ETEs) tend to underpredict RPV embrittlement at higher fluence regimes, efforts are needed to adapt ETEs accordingly. Further research is also required to determine how applicable the master curve approach is at high fluences and for sub-sized specimens in characterising irradiation-induced shifts in reference curves. The EU-funded STRUMAT-LTO project aims to address these scientific gaps in RPV embrittlement by exploiting the Lyra-10 specimens.
Objective
One of the critical issues of long-term operation (LTO) of mainly pressurised water reactors (PWRs) is the embrittlement of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) caused mainly by neutron irradiation. Substantial research has been performed in various international collaborative research projects, such as LONGLIFE, PERFORM60, SOTERIA, etc., which have helped to improve the understanding of many open issues in RPV ageing phenomena, such as flux effect and influence of chemical/microstructural heterogeneities on RPV embrittlement. Despite all the previous research on RPV embrittlement, there are several open issues. E.g. there are contradicting viewpoints on underlying mechanisms that lead to accelerated embrittlement (e.g. formation of new phases or accelerated growth of existing clusters) at high fluence conditions in certain low Cu RPV steels. Further research focussing on understanding unfavourable synergy between Ni, Mn and Si on microstructure and mechanical properties of RPV at high fluences is needed to elucidate the late irradiation effects. Existing embrittlement trend equations (ETEs) tend to underpredict RPV embrittlement at higher fluence regimes. Therefore subsequent efforts are needed to validate/adapt the ETEs accordingly. In addition, the applicability of master curve approach at high fluences and small/sub-sized specimens to characterize irradiation induced shifts in reference curves needs to be further investigated. To provide more insight into these issues NRG and JRC jointly conducted an irradiation campaign in the High Flux Reactor Petten, called Lyra-10. Within Lyra-10 a variety of different RPV steel specimens resembling VVER-1000 and western type PWR RPV steels with systematic variations in Ni, Mn and Si contents have been irradiated to high fluences resembling reactor operation above 60 years. The goal of STRUMAT-LTO is to address above mentioned scientific gaps in RPV embrittlement by exploiting the Lyra-10 specimens i.e. post irrad. examination.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
- H2020-Euratom - Euratom Main Programme
- H2020-Euratom-1. - Indirect actions
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
1121 Budapest
Hungary
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Participants (19)
1755 LE Petten
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75011 Paris
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
01328 Dresden
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28040 MADRID
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250 68 Husinec Rez
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1116 Budapest
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02150 Espoo
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1049 Bruxelles / Brussel
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OX14 3DB Abingdon
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91864 Trnava
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03142 Kyiv
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75794 Paris
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
76821 Mont Saint Aignan Cedex
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03680 Kyiv
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81243 Bratislava
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03124 Kyiv
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
01013 KYIV
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
80686 Munchen
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Participation ended
107140 MOSKVA
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