Grant: Industrial Research Chairs

In the last 70 years, the Canadian nuclear sector has played a vital role in meeting Canada's domestic energy needs and driving economic growth, job creation and innovation, while at the same time, adhering to high standards of public safety, efficiency and environmental protection. These achievements have benefited greatly from strategic investment in high quality nuclear research and education programs, such as the IRC in Risk-Based Life Cycle Management of Engineering Systems, established in 2004 at the University of Waterloo with the support of NSERC and the University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering. At present, the nuclear industry is being challenged by the requirement for design enhancements for severe accident management and the re-evaluation of risk of external hazards beyond the design basis stemming from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, as well as continuing to maintain the integrity and reliability of the existing fleet of reactors both before, and after refurbishment. These two key areas are well aligned with the goals and objectives of Waterloo's IRC risk and life cycle management, and supported by the adanced research infrastructure and knowledge base developed by the program over the last 10 years. The proposed third phase will tackle the emerging needs of the Canadian nuclear industry by developing a system of mitigrating measures necessary to improve safety both at the plant and site levels, increase generation efficiency, and decrease the damaging effects of aging. Risk assessment methods will be developed to determine the level of degradation, remaining life and reliability of aging structures, as well as to advance the current state of seismic assessment. This research will provide the industry with practical analysis tools not only for optimizing plant expenditures, but also for improving safety and operational efficiency. The program will also create a pool of highly skilled engineers and researchers to satisfy the industry's demands for a competent work force in critical areas of technology. In summary, the proposed third phase of the IRC program will continue to play a significant role in maintaining Canada's leading role in the development and application of nuclear technology.