Nuclear Materials 1

Module aims

The course will assume students have at least a basic understanding of a reactor system.  The aim is then to develop an appreciation of materials issues associated with nuclear reactor technology and how this information is used when designing reactor systems. A mechanistic description of materials selection for intense radiation fields and the associated degradation mechanisms will be covered for different classes of material with a focus on the specific advantages and disadvantages.  The course will then cover specific cases where materials issues have been crucial to systems performance and a variety of degradation and failure mechanisms as well as the radiation damage processes that brought about these failures.  NB: Although not solely focused on water reactor systems (especially PWR) the course will be aimed at this system

Learning outcomes

Prof R W Grimes

• Review radiation types, radioactive decay and dose units.
• Discuss the mechanisms of radiation damage of nuclear materials, the units used to measure damage and the models behind them.
• Use the Kinchin-Pease Model to predict damage accumulation and its part in general chemical rate theory of radiation damage.
• Recall the types of fuel and components for the Nuclear Fuel Assembly.
• Discuss the fuel cycle and fuel fabrication

Dr M Wenman

• Explain the use of different materials (stainless steels, Ni alloys) used in a PWR primary circuit and the problems and mitigation strategies associated with them.
• Understand the microstructure and mechanical properties of ferritic steels used for reactor pressure vessels (including welded structures) and the degradation of the steels due to neutron irradiation.
• Define and explain the terms residual stress, primary stress and secondary stress and how they affect structural integrity assessments of nuclear plant.
• Use the FAD and Weibull analysis methods to predict failure in nuclear components.
• Describe the phenomenon of pellet-clad mechanical interactions (PCMI) in PWR and AGR systems, the pellet-clad gap, its closure, heat transfer mechanisms and their roles in PCMI.

Dr B Britton

·         Outline the motivation for zirconium as a cladding in PWR environments

·         Discuss alloying of zirconium for cladding materials, including the presence of microstructure in single phase and dual phase alloys and secondary phase particles (SPPs).

·         Introduce deformation modes in zirconium systems and their impact on crystallographic texture evolution, including crystallographic slip and twinning.

·         Discuss crystallographic texture and its importance in highly engineered systems, including how to measure texture and describe it using pole figures & Kearn’s factors.

·         Introduce ageing and corrosion of zirconium in power plant systems, with a focus on hydrides, oxidation, radiation creep and growth.

·         Discuss engineering decisions for tube fabrication, as well as a simple overview of the benefits and disadvantages of different joining technologies.

Module syllabus

24 lectures

Pre-requisites

Prerequesites:   None

Introduction to Nuclear Energy 3rd year Mech Eng course very useful; knowledge of basic materials defects and the concept of microstructure very useful.

Teaching methods

24 lectures: Autumn term

Assessments

Examination

The course is examined in the summer term, and the students answer any 3 of 5 questions. 

The pass mark for the MEng cohort is 40% and for the MSc courses is 50%. The module contributes 100 marks of the MEng fourth year, or a core module for MSc/MRes. 

Reading list

Supplementary texts

• Introduction to nuclear power

  Hewitt, G. F. (Geoffrey Frederick)

  2nd ed., Washington, DC : Taylor & Francis

• The nuclear fuel cycle from ore to wastes

  Oxford : Oxford University Press

Module leaders