Ni-based ODS alloys for Molten Salt Reactors

熔盐反应堆用镍基 ODS 合金

• 批准号: EP/T002441/1
• 负责人: David Armstrong
• 金额: $ 63.68万
• 依托单位: University of Oxford
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2019 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FT002441%2F1
• 关键词: Ni; based; ODS; alloys; Molten

Although light water reactors (nuclear reactors cooled with water) have historically been the most popular type of reactor, the threat of a nuclear meltdown and hydrogen gas explosion is a continuous concern, especially in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in 2011. One nuclear reactor design that is safer and more efficient than the light water reactors designs is the molten salt reactor (MSR) where molten salt is used as a coolant and in many designs, as a liquid fuel. There is no worry of a nuclear meltdown because the fuel is already in liquid form and with liquid fuel, the reactor can be operated at much higher temperatures up to around 750 C leading to a higher reactor efficiency. These molten salts make excellent coolants due to a higher volumetric heat capacity compared to pressurized water. Furthermore, since the liquid salt is used as a coolant instead of water, there is no risk hydrogen production that could lead to a hydrogen explosion. Whilst there are many advantages to these reactors they have major materials challenges. The molten salt is corrosive and will attack and essentially dissolve some materials, including many common grades of steel, it comes into contact with. This has limited the use of these reactors to test reactors, initially developed for use in nuclear planes! There is now much interest in using these reactors for power generation and several companies actively developing new designs and working to build concept plants. If these reactors are to be used commercially then new grades of nickel alloys (which do not suffer such corrosive attack in contact with the salt) need to be developed. Previous grades of nickel alloy have suffered from embrittlement caused by the helium which is produced by nuclear reaction in the reactor. This work will design, develop and process new nickel alloys which contain nano-meter sized oxide based particles which effectively capture the helium, trap it and stop it causing premature failure. In addition these particles make the nickel stronger at high temperature allowing more efficient reactor operation. By developing this material we will accelerate the development and deployment of this safer and potentially cheaper reactor design.

尽管轻水反应堆（用水冷却的核反应堆）历来是最受欢迎的反应堆类型，但核熔毁和氢气爆炸的威胁始终令人担忧，特别是在 2011 年福岛第一核电站事故发生后一种比轻水反应堆设计更安全、更高效的核反应堆设计是熔盐反应堆（MSR），其中熔盐用作冷却剂，并且在许多设计中用作液体燃料。不用担心核熔毁，因为燃料已经是液体形式，并且使用液体燃料，反应堆可以在高达 750°C 左右的更高温度下运行，从而提高反应堆效率。由于与加压水相比，这些熔盐具有更高的体积热容，因此成为极好的冷却剂。此外，由于使用液态盐而不是水作为冷却剂，因此不存在可能导致氢气爆炸的氢气产生风险。虽然这些反应器有许多优点，但它们面临着重大的材料挑战。熔盐具有腐蚀性，会腐蚀并基本上溶解一些与其接触的材料，包括许多常见等级的钢。这限制了这些反应堆用于测试反应堆的用途，这些反应堆最初是为核飞机而开发的！现在人们对使用这些反应堆发电很感兴趣，一些公司积极开发新设计并致力于建造概念工厂。如果这些反应堆要投入商业使用，则需要开发新等级的镍合金（与盐接触时不会遭受这种腐蚀）。以前的镍合金牌号因反应堆中核反应产生的氦气而发生脆化。这项工作将设计、开发和加工新型镍合金，其中含有纳米尺寸的氧化物基颗粒，可有效捕获、捕获氦气并阻止其导致过早失效。此外，这些颗粒使镍在高温下变得更强，从而使反应器运行更有效。通过开发这种材料，我们将加速这种更安全且可能更便宜的反应堆设计的开发和部署。