Grant: Alliance Grants
Université d'Ottawa
$25,000.00
Laser generated flaws in zirconium alloys to better predict failure of CANDU nuclear pressure tubes
FY 2024-25
Summary
CANDU (Canada Deuterium Uranium) are Canadian-made pressurized heavy-water reactors where uranium fuel and coolant are contained by a pressure tube made of a zirconium alloy. Each CANDU reactor contains several hundreds pressure tubes which deteriorate as they age. Removing a pressure tube from service is expensive and presents hazard to nuclear workers. Any data that could be used to assess the likelihood for crack initiation at a flaw could decrease costs while improving safety. This project will improve the ability to generate this data and refine methods to generate flaws used for assessing pressure tube degradation. The resulting improved failure predictions will enhance the lifetime of CANDU reactors and other industrial devices made with zirconium alloys.
Program
Alliance Grants
Recipient
Location
Ontario, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
597906-2024
Name nom
Weck, Arnaud AG
Department département
Mechanical Engineering
Organization id
28
Institution établissement
Université d'Ottawa
Province en
Ontario
Province fr
Ontario
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2024
Competition year année de concours
2024
Award amount
25000
Program id
ALLRP
Program name en
Alliance Grants
Program name fr
Subventions Alliance
Group en
RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS
Group fr
PARTENARIATS DE RECHERCHE
Committee code
96
Committee name en
RPP Internal Decision Cttee
Committee name fr
Cté de décision interne - PPR
Area of application code
302
Area of application group en
Energy resources
Area of application group fr
Ressources d'énergie
Area of application en
Nuclear energy
Area of application fr
Énergie nucléaire
Research subject code
2001
Research subject group en
Materials science and technology
Research subject group fr
Science et technologie des matériaux
Research subject en
Materials structure, properties and testing
Research subject fr
Structure, propriétés et essais des matériaux
Field of research list names en
Not available
Field of research list names fr
Non disponible
Socioeconomic objective list names en
Not available
Socioeconomic objective list names fr
Non disponible
Application title
Laser generated flaws in zirconium alloys to better predict failure of CANDU nuclear pressure tubes
Keywords
artifical flaws; candu nuclear reactor; digital image correlation; fracture; heat affected zone; laser-matter interactions; mechanical properties; pressure tubes; tensile tests; ultrafast laser
Application summary
CANDU (Canada Deuterium Uranium) are Canadian-made pressurized heavy-water reactors where uranium fuel and coolant are contained by a pressure tube made of a zirconium alloy. Each CANDU reactor contains several hundreds pressure tubes which deteriorate as they age. Removing a pressure tube from service is expensive and presents hazard to nuclear workers. Any data that could be used to assess the likelihood for crack initiation at a flaw could decrease costs while improving safety. This project will improve the ability to generate this data and refine methods to generate flaws used for assessing pressure tube degradation. The resulting improved failure predictions will enhance the lifetime of CANDU reactors and other industrial devices made with zirconium alloys.
