Consideration of Co incorporation behavior in oxide film under advanced boiling water reactor conditions

Boiling water reactors (BWRs) operates in high-purity water at temperatures up to 288C in saturated steam and water at pressure ~70 Bar and most structural components and piping are made out of stainless steel thanks to their good strength and corrosion resistance properties.
However, when stainless steel corrodes in high temperature water, non-radioactive cobalt 59, which is an impurity in structural materials, is released into the water, gets activated and become radioactive Co-60. This Co-60 in the reactor coolant water can then be incorporated within the oxide film of the structural materials in the BWR and cause workers to be irradiated during inspection and maintenance.
To reduce occupational exposure of workers, water chemistry of coolant is adequately controlled and new build plants will probably apply on-line NobleChem (OLNC) with hydrogen water chemistry (HWC) in combination with zinc injection in the water to reduces the Co-60 incorporation and mitigate the corrosive behaviour of structural materials. However the mechanistic understanding of the Co incorporation in the oxide is not fully understood. Therefore the aim of this project is to develop a scientific understanding of the synergisms of different water chemistry treatments on oxide evolution so that the water chemistry of the next generation power plants can be optimized.
The project will be carried out at the Materials Performance Centre, part of the Department of Materials and one the centres of the Nuclear Dalton Institute at the University of Manchester. The centre has extensive expertise in microstructural characterization, metallurgy, oxidation, and structural integrity of nuclear components and has a large number of state-of-the-art material characterization facilities and autoclaves for replicating nuclear environments. The successful candidate will acquire skills in materials performance and will become proficient in the materials and microstructural characterization, which include secondary electron microscopy (SEM), focused ion beam (FIB), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and other advanced characterization techniques.

In GREEN we envisage there are potentially Impacts in several domains: the nuclear Sector; the wider Clean Growth Agenda; Government Policy & Strategy; and the Wider Public.

The two major outputs from Green will be Human Capital and Knowledge:

Human Capital: The GREEN CDT will deliver a pipeline of approximately 90 highly skilled entrants to the nuclear sector, with a broad understanding of wider sector challenges (formed through the training element of the programme) and deep subject matter expertise (developed through their research project). As evidenced by our letters of support, our CDT graduates are in high demand by the sector. Indeed, our technical and skills development programme has been co-created with key sector employers, to ensure that it delivers graduates who will meet their future requirements, with the creativity, ambition, and relational skills to think critically & independently and grow as subject matter experts. Our graduates are therefore a primary conduit to delivering impact via outcomes of research projects (generally co-created and co-produced with end users); as intelligent and effective agents of change, through employment in the sector; and strong professional networks.

Knowledge: The research outcomes from GREEN will be disseminated by students as open access peer reviewed publications in appropriate quality titles (with a target of 2 per student, 180 in total) and at respected conferences. Data & codes will be managed & archived for open access in accordance with institutional policies, consistent with UKRI guidelines. We will collaborate with our counterpart CDTs in fission and fusion to deliver a national student conference as a focus for dissemination of research, professional networking, and development of wider peer networks.

There are three major areas where GREEN will provide impact: the nuclear sector; clean growth; Policy and Strategy and Outreach.

the nuclear sector: One of our most significant impacts will be to create the next generation of nuclear research leaders. We will achieve this by carefully matching student experience with user needs.

clean growth - The proposed GREEN CDT, as a provider of highly skilled entrants to the profession, is therefore a critical enabler in supporting delivery of both the Clean Growth agenda, Nuclear Industry Strategy, and Nuclear Sector Deal, as evidenced by the employment rate of our graduates (85% into the sector industry) and the attached letters of support.

Policy and Strategy: The GREEN leadership and supervisory team provide input and expert advice across all UK Governments, and also to the key actors in the nuclear industry (see Track Records, Sections 3.3 & 5.1, CfS). Thus, we are well positioned to inculcate an understanding of the rapidly changing nuclear strategy and policy landscape which will shape their future careers.

Outreach to the wider public: Building on our track record of high quality, and acclaimed activities, delivered in NGN, GREEN will deliver an active programme of public engagement which we will coordinate with activities of other nuclear CDTs. Our training programme provides skills based training in public and media communication, enabling our students to act as effective and authoritative communicators and ambassadors. Examples of such activities delivered during NGN include: The Big Bang Fair, Birmingham 2014 - 2017; British Science Week, 2013 - 2017; ScienceX, Manchester; 2016 - 2018; and The Infinity Festival, Cumbria, 2017.