Research on Materials Ageing and Structural Integrity of Research Reactors

Many of the existing Research Reactors (RR) in Europe are very old (>60-years operation). Only few initiatives are taken (PALLAS and JHR) to partially replace this capacity.

Continued operation of these RRs is mandatory (at least until the new reactors come to operation) to maintain the EU excellence in development and qualification of nuclear materials for advanced reactor concepts and to maintain the supply of medical isotopes.

License extensions for continued safe operation (CSO) requires ageing management review (AMR) and time limited ageing analysis (TLAA) of critical structures and components.

However, there is limited understanding of damage mechanisms and lack of materials data on RR materials at relevant operating conditions for long term operation of RRs. In addition, there is a shortage of surveillance specimens for extending the operational life for some RRs.

Lastly, sharing of knowledge and operational experience is crucial in this relatively small RR community.Magic-RR addresses aforementioned issues by leveraging (1) available archive materials and data from the existing research reactors, e.g. from surveillance programs and shut down reactors, (2) operational experience of research reactor operators and (3) advanced characterization and modelling techniques at universities and nuclear research centers.

To achieve this goal Magic-RR focuses on the following topics in order to CSO of European RRs:•Improved understanding on irradiation induced damage in RR structural materials (specifically Al alloys) at high fluence conditions•Application of advanced multi-scale modelling methods for prediction of irradiation influence on mechanical properties • Investigation of corrosion mechanisms and its prevention/mitigation•Assessment of sub-size testing for surveillance programs•Sharing knowledge on reactor operation and Providing guidelines on best practices•Structural integrity assessment of critical components of RRs to support CSO of RRs