enabling Sixty Years creep-fatigue life of the NExt generation nuclear Reactors 'SYNERgy'
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leicester
Department Name: Engineering
Abstract
The science and engineering of materials have been fundamental to the success of nuclear power to date. They are also the key to the successful deployment and operation of a new generation of nuclear reactor systems. The next-generation nuclear reactors (Gen IV) operating at temperatures of 550C and above have been previously studied to some extent and in many cases experimental or prototype nuclear systems have been operated. For example, the UK was the world-leading nation to operate the Dounreay experimental sodium-cooled fast nuclear reactor (SFR) for ~19 years and a prototype fast reactor for ~20 years. However, even for those SFRs with in total of 400 reactor-years international operating experience, their commercial deployment is still held up. A formidable challenge for the design, licensing and construction of next-generation Gen IV SFRs or the other high-temperature nuclear reactors is the requirement to have a design life of 60 years or more.
The key degradation mechanisms for the high-temperature nuclear reactors is the creep-fatigue of steel components. When structural materials are used at high temperature, thermal ageing and inelastic deformation lead to changes in their microstructures. The creep and creep-fatigue performance of structural materials are limited by the degradation of microstructures. The underlying need is to develop improved understanding and predictive models of the evolution of the key microstructural features which control long-term creep performance and creep-fatigue interaction. This Fellowship will use an integrated experimental and modelling approach covering different length and time scales to understand and predict the long-term microstructural degradation and creep-fatigue deformation and damage process. I will then use the new scientific information to make significant technological breakthroughs in predicting long-term creep-fatigue life that include microstructural degradation process. I will thereby realise a radical step beyond the current phenomenological or a functional form of constitutive models which received very limited success when extrapolated to long-term operational conditions. This research will put me and the UK at the forefront of nuclear fission research.
This Fellowship will enable the 60 years creep-fatigue life of the next-generation high-temperature nuclear systems by developing a materials science underpinned and engineering based design methodology and implement it into future versions of high-temperature nuclear reactor design codes. In consequence, Gen IV reactor technologies will become commercially viable and Gen IV SFRs will be built globally to provide an excellent solution for recycling today's nuclear waste. This fellowship aims to influence the international organisations responsible for the next-generation nuclear design codes and gaining an early foothold in the international nuclear R&D via this research will give the best chance to secure Intellectual Property and return long term economic gains to our UK.
The key degradation mechanisms for the high-temperature nuclear reactors is the creep-fatigue of steel components. When structural materials are used at high temperature, thermal ageing and inelastic deformation lead to changes in their microstructures. The creep and creep-fatigue performance of structural materials are limited by the degradation of microstructures. The underlying need is to develop improved understanding and predictive models of the evolution of the key microstructural features which control long-term creep performance and creep-fatigue interaction. This Fellowship will use an integrated experimental and modelling approach covering different length and time scales to understand and predict the long-term microstructural degradation and creep-fatigue deformation and damage process. I will then use the new scientific information to make significant technological breakthroughs in predicting long-term creep-fatigue life that include microstructural degradation process. I will thereby realise a radical step beyond the current phenomenological or a functional form of constitutive models which received very limited success when extrapolated to long-term operational conditions. This research will put me and the UK at the forefront of nuclear fission research.
This Fellowship will enable the 60 years creep-fatigue life of the next-generation high-temperature nuclear systems by developing a materials science underpinned and engineering based design methodology and implement it into future versions of high-temperature nuclear reactor design codes. In consequence, Gen IV reactor technologies will become commercially viable and Gen IV SFRs will be built globally to provide an excellent solution for recycling today's nuclear waste. This fellowship aims to influence the international organisations responsible for the next-generation nuclear design codes and gaining an early foothold in the international nuclear R&D via this research will give the best chance to secure Intellectual Property and return long term economic gains to our UK.
Planned Impact
The February 2017 Final Report by the UK's Nuclear Innovation and Research Advisory Board (NIRAB) has publicised its final set of nuclear research programme recommendations which was made to the Ministers. These recommendations are focused on closing gaps associated with new reactor systems which, in the absence of action, would prevent the UK realising the economic and industrial potential in low carbon nuclear energy. This ambitious Fellowship is aimed at developing fundamental scientific understandings of long-term creep-fatigue aspect that are needed to design and build advanced and new nuclear fission reactors (Gen IV fast reactors in particular) in an accelerated and cost effective way, with emphasis on ever increasing safety. This Fellowship will put me and the UK at the forefront of research in the field, importantly having far-reaching economic and societal impacts.
Impact 1: International Collaboration on Future Nuclear Research
This project is of strong relevance and interest to the UK's stakeholders of nuclear research and industry, and will return long term economic gains to the UK. The NIRAB report has emphasised several times that there is a need to maintain and build capability and to re-engage in major international development programmes for the development of future nuclear reactor. To this end, I have enlisted the participation of two major Gen IV International Partners (Europe and China) in addition to the UK's key nuclear groups who will be directly involved into performing research and delivering impact. The EERA JPNM is a European nuclear materials group of more than 40 participants, aims to improve safety and sustainability of Nuclear Energy. The China Structural Integrity Consortium (more than 50 members) aims to integrate the expertise ranging from materials development, advanced manufacturing to components design and life assessment. This Fellowship will support and accelerate the commercial deployment of world's first Gen IV sodium-fast reactors in both the Europe and China. I aim to further strengthen my links with these international project partners via exchange of personnel and their close involvement in this Fellowship. Fostering international collaboration in nuclear field will enable the UK to enter into major international initiatives and will underpin the UK's nuclear industry strategy. I anticipate that this research will enable the UK becoming a key partner of choice in commercialising advanced and new reactor systems worldwide and will place the UK at the top table of nuclear nations.
Impact 2: Sustaining Skills and Capability
The second major impact of this Fellowship will be in developing the next generation of high-temperature nuclear researchers and a future leader in the field. The urgency of the situation is underlined by the UK's high-temperature nuclear workforce approaching retirement and the consequent possibility of losing important knowledge particularly in the field of UK's historical and world-renowned high-temperature and fast nuclear reactors. This Fellowship will connect a team of talented postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers with the senior experts in nuclear industry to facilitate knowledge transfer. All the young researchers will be encouraged and supported to engage with the world-leading nuclear research groups. These young researchers are likely to be highly valued in their future career in academia or industry, with corresponding benefit to the UK knowledge economy for performing future international R&D programmes.
Impact 3: Meeting CO2 Emission Reduction Targets for 2050
The outputs from this Fellowship will support the new build fleet, importantly creating a platform to support advanced reactor development in the longer term. The scientific and technological breakthrough achieved in this research will play a significant role in the UK's and international future low carbon electricity innovation.
Impact 1: International Collaboration on Future Nuclear Research
This project is of strong relevance and interest to the UK's stakeholders of nuclear research and industry, and will return long term economic gains to the UK. The NIRAB report has emphasised several times that there is a need to maintain and build capability and to re-engage in major international development programmes for the development of future nuclear reactor. To this end, I have enlisted the participation of two major Gen IV International Partners (Europe and China) in addition to the UK's key nuclear groups who will be directly involved into performing research and delivering impact. The EERA JPNM is a European nuclear materials group of more than 40 participants, aims to improve safety and sustainability of Nuclear Energy. The China Structural Integrity Consortium (more than 50 members) aims to integrate the expertise ranging from materials development, advanced manufacturing to components design and life assessment. This Fellowship will support and accelerate the commercial deployment of world's first Gen IV sodium-fast reactors in both the Europe and China. I aim to further strengthen my links with these international project partners via exchange of personnel and their close involvement in this Fellowship. Fostering international collaboration in nuclear field will enable the UK to enter into major international initiatives and will underpin the UK's nuclear industry strategy. I anticipate that this research will enable the UK becoming a key partner of choice in commercialising advanced and new reactor systems worldwide and will place the UK at the top table of nuclear nations.
Impact 2: Sustaining Skills and Capability
The second major impact of this Fellowship will be in developing the next generation of high-temperature nuclear researchers and a future leader in the field. The urgency of the situation is underlined by the UK's high-temperature nuclear workforce approaching retirement and the consequent possibility of losing important knowledge particularly in the field of UK's historical and world-renowned high-temperature and fast nuclear reactors. This Fellowship will connect a team of talented postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers with the senior experts in nuclear industry to facilitate knowledge transfer. All the young researchers will be encouraged and supported to engage with the world-leading nuclear research groups. These young researchers are likely to be highly valued in their future career in academia or industry, with corresponding benefit to the UK knowledge economy for performing future international R&D programmes.
Impact 3: Meeting CO2 Emission Reduction Targets for 2050
The outputs from this Fellowship will support the new build fleet, importantly creating a platform to support advanced reactor development in the longer term. The scientific and technological breakthrough achieved in this research will play a significant role in the UK's and international future low carbon electricity innovation.
Organisations
- University of Leicester (Fellow, Lead Research Organisation)
- University of Manchester (Project Partner)
- Henry Royce Institute (Project Partner)
- EDF Energy (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Nuclear AMRC (Project Partner)
- National Nuclear Laboratory (Project Partner)
- Commissariat à l'énergie atomique CEA (Project Partner)
- East China University of Science and Technology (Project Partner)
- Joint Research Centre (Project Partner)
- Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (Project Partner)
- State Nuclear Power Technolo Corporation (Project Partner)
People |
ORCID iD |
Bo Chen (Principal Investigator / Fellow) | |
David Parfitt (Researcher) |
Publications
Chen Y
(2023)
High-cycle fatigue induced twinning in CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy processed by laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing
in Additive Manufacturing
Fuyang C
(2022)
A physics-based life prediction model of HP40Nb heat-resistant alloy in a coupled creep-carburisation environment
in Materials Science and Engineering: A
Gao B
(2023)
Electron beam powder bed fusion of Y2O3/?-TiAl nanocomposite with balanced strength and toughness
in Additive Manufacturing
Gao B
(2021)
Electron beam melted TiC/high Nb-TiAl nanocomposite: Microstructure and mechanical property
in Materials Science and Engineering: A
Gao F
(2020)
Unraveling the Origin of Tribomagnetization in Ferromagnetic Materials.
in ACS applied materials & interfaces
Gao R
(2022)
A Combined Powder Metallurgical Approach to Process Gamma-TiAl with Composite Structure
in Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A
Gao R
(2021)
An innovative way to fabricate ?-TiAl blades and their failure mechanisms under thermal shock
in Scripta Materialia
Hu J
(2021)
Modelling of cavity nucleation under creep-fatigue interaction
in Mechanics of Materials
Hu J
(2022)
Modeling of cavity nucleation, early-stage growth, and sintering in polycrystal under creep-fatigue interaction
in Fatigue & Fracture of Engineering Materials & Structures
Jin J
(2020)
Rapid Solidification Microstructure and Carbide Precipitation Behavior in Electron Beam Melted High-Speed Steel
in Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A
Kan W
(2019)
Formation of columnar lamellar colony grain structure in a high Nb-TiAl alloy by electron beam melting
in Journal of Alloys and Compounds
Kan W
(2020)
Fabrication of nano-TiC reinforced high Nb-TiAl nanocomposites by electron beam melting
in Materials Letters
Kan W
(2020)
Fabrication of nano-TiC reinforced high Nb-TiAl nanocomposites by electron beam melting
in Materials Letters
Li Y
(2020)
Microstructural considerations of enhanced tensile strength and mechanical constraint in a copper/stainless steel brazed joint
in Materials Science and Engineering: A
Li Y
(2019)
Characterisation of microstructure, defect and high-cycle-fatigue behaviour in a stainless steel joint processed by brazing
in Materials Characterization
Li Y
(2019)
Characterisation of microstructure, defect and high-cycle-fatigue behaviour in a stainless steel joint processed by brazing
in Materials Characterization
Ramadhan R
(2019)
Characterization and application of Bragg-edge transmission imaging for strain measurement and crystallographic analysis on the IMAT beamline
in Journal of Applied Crystallography
Sarkar R
(2023)
Blown-powder direct-energy-deposition of titanium-diboride-strengthened IN718 Ni-base superalloy
in Materials Science and Engineering: A
Sarkar R
(2022)
Additive Manufacturing-Based Repair of In718 Superalloy and High-Cycle Fatigue Assessment of the Joint
in SSRN Electronic Journal
Sarkar R
(2022)
Additive manufacturing-based repair of IN718 superalloy and high-cycle fatigue assessment of the joint
in Additive Manufacturing
Sharma D
(2021)
Influence of cooling rate on the precipitation kinetics of nanoscale isothermal ?-phase in metastable ß-Ti alloy, Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-3Cr
in Journal of Alloys and Compounds
Sharma H
(2019)
A critical evaluation of the microstructural gradient along the build direction in electron beam melted Ti-6Al-4V alloy
in Materials Science and Engineering: A
Shen Y
(2020)
In Situ Observation of Phase Transformations in the Coarse-Grained Heat-Affected Zone of P91 Heat-Resistant Steel During Simulated Welding Process
in Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A
Description | We have developed a new creep-fatigue model to predict the cavitation nucleation under creep-fatigue interaction. In addition, we have studied the material performance under very-high-cycle-fatigue at high temperature and the experimental data helped to validate the lifetime prediction model. Until March 2021, I've formed two main streams of research topic: creep-fatigue interaction and very-high-cycle fatigue at high temperature. Both are crucial for the high-temperature structural integrity assessment of key engineering components to prevent the pre-mature failure. Since the last submission cycle, it becomes apparent that the traditional way of conducting creep-fatigue tests might not be the ideal method. By optimising the load waveform cycle, informed by the developed mechanistic-based models, the mechanical testing time can be much shortened. This significantly reduces the cost and improve the economic competitiveness of creep-fatigue testing. |
Exploitation Route | We are actively engaging with the European Gen IV reactor communities as well as the UK's nuclear power industry. Through these leading avenues, we will ensure that the research outcomes will benefit for the ongoing and future high-temperature nuclear power life time prediction. |
Sectors | Aerospace Defence and Marine Energy |
URL | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmat.2021.103799 |
Description | The inability to adequately understand creep-fatigue interaction is a challenge that prevents us to commercialise the Generation IV nuclear systems and ultra-supercritical power plant, especially with regard to a design life of 60 years and load-following operational mode. I've developed a new mechanistic-based modelling approach to provide the best guideline in terms of designing creep-fatigue testing programme to accelerate the knowledge gain in terms of long-term creep damage mode under creep-fatigue interaction. I have been Invited to give a Plenary Lecture at 2020 International Symposium on Structural Integrity (ISSI), reaching an audience of over 8000. Since the last submission, experimental verification has been conducted in collaboration with the Jacobs, an non-academic organisation who is specialised in doing high-temperature testing. It has proven that the model predicted role of asymmetric loading waveform can effectively shorten the testing duration, and thus saving the cost. To date, four tests have been conducted with the help of modelling informed experimental design. The experimental results align to our model prediction. I plan to publish this research outcome during the next submission cycle, not only on a journal paper, but also on a code and standard. |
First Year Of Impact | 2024 |
Sector | Energy |
Impact Types | Economic |
Description | Correlative Analysis of Crystals in 3D |
Amount | £2,501,463 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/X014614/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2023 |
End | 09/2025 |
Description | International Exchanges 2021 Cost Share (NSFC) |
Amount | £11,960 (GBP) |
Funding ID | IEC\NSFC\211223 |
Organisation | The Royal Society |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2022 |
End | 03/2024 |
Description | Newton Fund Researcher Links 2020-RLWK12-10091 Chen CHN |
Amount | £24,800 (GBP) |
Organisation | British Council |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 05/2021 |
End | 12/2021 |
Description | Conference Organising Chair of the 17th UK's Engineering Structural Integrity Assessment (ESIA17) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Engineering Net Zero seeks to develop technological solutions to decarbonise our economy and society. It presents an unprecedented challenge across many sectors such as heavy industry, power and transport. Corrosion, fatigue and creep are three cross-sector materials degradation mechanisms, and the net-zero infrastructure will be operated in ever demanding environments. If structural integrity is not addressed now, catastrophic failures may occur in 5 to 20 years, which will delay our transition to prosperous and sustainable society. The ESIA17-ISSI2023 conference assembles academic, industry experts and postgraduates across the spectrum of metallurgy, mechanical engineering, manufacturing, nuclear, hydrogen, and digital twin to name a few, but centred in the area of structural integrity to enable a Safe Net Zero. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.fesi.org.uk/events/esia17-issi2023/ |