Advanced nuclear materials
Prof. Steven Van Dyck - KU Leuven
3 ECTS
90 hours study time
26 contact hours theory
5 contact hours exercises/laboratory sessions/visits
0 hours additional personal work (reading etc.)
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To review the corrosion and embrittlement degradation mechanisms of materials in nuclear environments.
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Part 1: Advanced treatment of irradiation effects in materials: radiation damage mechanisms at microscopic level (S. Van Dyck – 0.5d)
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Impact of radiation damage on the compliance of the material to their functional requirements
- Radiation induced hardening and embrittlement
- Radiation induced swelling
- Radiation creep
- Introduction stainless steels and effects of irradiation
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Relevant non-radiation related phenomena in nuclear systems
Part 2: Corrosion and materials degradation problems in the nuclear industry (R.W. Bosch – 1d)
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Water chemistry of LWRs
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Uniform corrosion issues and Environmentally Assisted Cracking (EAC) with emphasis on LWRs
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Corrosion control and mitigation
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Case histories
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Visit and laboratory session to the SCK CEN research infrastructure
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Visit of the autoclave lab for corrosion testing
Part 3: Application to reactor pressure vessel integrity (0.5d)
Part 4: Zirconium alloys and their use as fuel cladding (0.5d)
Some of these topics are further elaborated during seminars by SCK CEN experts
- Fundamentals of radiation damage in steels: the nanoscale perspective (G. Bonny)
- Materials issues of nuclear fuel (M. Verwerft)
- Advanced experiments to characterize radiation damage in nuclear materials (M. Konstantinovic)
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Generation IV (S. Gavrilov)
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The PowerPoint presentations of the lectures are available on the BNEN website.
Other usefull references
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Benjamin, M., Nuclear Reactor Materials and Applications, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1983.
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Glasstone, S. & A. Sesonske, Nuclear Reactor Engineering, 4-th Ed, Vol 1, Chapman & Hall, New York, 1994 (Chapter 7: Reactor Materials, pp 406-462).
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Cahn, R.W., Haasen, P., Kramer, E.J., Materials Science and Technology, Volume 10 B, Volume editor Frost B.R.T. , Chapters 7-9
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F. Somville, R. Gérard, S. Vancluysen, D. Bertolis, D. Martens, J. Bracke, R.W. Bosch, Management of nickel-based alloy butt welds in the reactor coolant system of Belgian NPPs, In: FONTEVRAUD 9, 2018, Avignon, France.
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F. Somville, R. Gérard., R.W. Bosch, D. Bertolis, S. Vissers, Ageing Management of Baffle Former Bolts in Belgian Nuclear Power Plants.- In: FONTEVRAUD 8 – 2014, Avignon, France.
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G. S. Was, University of Michigan, USA and P. L. Andresen, General Electric Global Research, USA, “Radiation damage to structural alloys in nuclear power plants: mechanisms and remediation” – In Structural Alloys for Power Plants Operational Challenges and High-Temperature Materials Woodhead Publishing Series in Energy 2014, Pages 355-420
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Wallin, Kim. (1998). Master Curve Analysis of Ductile to Brittle Transition Region Fracture Toughness Round Robin Data (The Euro Fracture Toughness Curve). VTT Publications.
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Courses in the following fields
- Nuclear materials
Basic knowledge of materials science, chemistry and electrochemistry.
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- Oral examination with written preparation, open book in first and second session
- Attendance to the seminars is compulsory.
- The grade will be determined by weighing the grades on the separate parts, in proportion to the number of ECTS per part. In case of a failure for one of the parts, the examination committee can decide to penalize by lowering the final grade.
- The examination of the separate parts of this course can be scheduled on multiple days.